Butterfly Effect
by WeiXiao
Summary: Even the smallest changes can lead to large consequences. All it takes is a little push for things to go spiraling out of control. Aleksander Vers Allusia knew that, yet he could not possibly prepare for the storm to come.
1. The Prince of Vers

**It's fascinating how much of a difference the inclusion of a single OC can make in a story. Good writers in particular have a knack for figuring out how much of a difference it can make. I hope to be able to achieve that kind of excellence, hence an inclusion of an OC in this Aldnoah Zero fanfic.**

* * *

"Are you sure I can't come with you?" The young girl asked.

"Asseylum, we've been over this before. In case something happens to me, you're to be heir to the throne. The title of crown princess practically belongs to you already. After all, only the Orbital Knights are aware of my existence at the moment." The slightly older boy said.

"I really wish I could go also, though. Slaine has told us so much about Earth. And you're only a year older than me! It's not fair!"

"Who knows, maybe you'll be able to visit in the future. You'd definitely make a much better ambassador than me, after all. After all, you've already got Slaine wrapped around your finger."

"That is NOT true. Besides, you've been doing so much more studying than I have. You'd definitely be the better diplomat." Asseylum pouted.

"Knowledge isn't everything, you know. Being an ambassador isn't always about just being able to talk. It's about being able to inspire people to listen to what you have to say."

"You could do that. It's why I look up to you."

"Despite being only a year younger than me? My goodness, I must have made quite the impression." The boy chuckled.

"How could you not make an impression? Older siblings are supposed to do that, aren't they?"

"I suppose they are. I should get going now. The shuttle leaves in a couple minutes."

The girl looked wistfully at him. "Japan, huh? I sure would like to visit there. Stay safe, would you? "

The boy turned around, smiling at his younger sister. "I will. You take care as well, little sister."

With that, Aleksander Vers Allusia left for the shuttle, which would take him to a new life on Earth.

* * *

 **Seven Years Later…**

* * *

"Hey, did you hear? The princess of Vers is supposed to visit us tomorrow! Wouldn't it be cool to get to see her in person?" Okisuke asked.

Alek Audet glanced over from the book he was reading to look at the biggest pervert in their little group of friends. "You know, you could just watch it from a television. I don't think it's really worth all that trouble. The only reason I'm going is because the student council is helping with traffic."

"Alek! She's a princess! This is like a once in a lifetime chance! I mean, how often are we going to be able to see some kind of royalty?"

 _You see one every single day when you go to school with me. But I guess you don't know that._ Alek thought, remembering that no one knew of his identity as Aleksander Vers Allusia, prince of Vers, grandson to Emperor Rayregalia Vers Rayvers, as well as older brother of Asseylum Vers Allusia.

Granted, no one knew that, thanks to the power of Aldnoah, which had a ridiculous number of practical uses, from being an energy source to being able to change appearances through a hologram of sorts. At the moment, Alek had currently used it to disguise himself so that his normally short, cropped blond hair was a longer, light shade of brown that covered his forehead. He had left his eyes the color that they were, seeing as it wasn't too uncommon to see purple eyes around.

Deep down though, Alek wanted to go to the parade. It had been forever since he had last spoken to his sister in person, and video chats just weren't the same. It didn't help that he lived by himself. He figured that it would be better to go talk to her afterwards at the embassy, as it was much easier to avoid the crowd that way and it would preserve his secrecy. Seven years was a long time to wait before reuniting with family and friends.

Alek had made a request to his grandfather in order to go to Earth seven years ago in order to learn more about them. After all, Slaine wasn't necessarily the greatest source of information regarding Earth, even if he was from there. The emperor agreed, on the condition that he would take the throne once he returned to Vers. In the situation where Alek was unable to rule, Asseylum would take the throne.

A few moments later, Inko and Nina got on the bus. "Hey everyone, what's going on?" Inko asked.

"Okojo's being his regular pervert self and playing video games." Calm said.

"O-oi!"

Alek sighed. "You guys are a lively bunch, as always."

"True, true. Hey, don't we have that quiz on the history of the establishment of the Vers Empire?"

"Wha- really?" Okisuke asked.

"You know, you would probably know that if you had paid attention in class instead of trying to sneak playing your video games." Alek said with a sigh.

"Well excuse me, Mr. Perfect-Scores-on-Every-Test."

"That would be Inaho. That guy's a monster when it comes to intellectual stuff. Sure I get straight A's, but Inaho's been breaking the records that I set when I was in your grade. It's almost ridiculous how he pulls it off."

"It shouldn't be that surprising that you get high scores. You're one of the top students after all. And the president of the Student Council! You must spend lots of time studying, right?" Calm asked.

 _Oh yeah, I definitely have plenty of time for studying, especially with Asseylum pestering me with questions almost every single day after I get home. Not to mention the extra exercises I do on top of that._ Alek thought to himself. "I just study the same amount as everyone else. Nothing special to it."

Alek watched as Inko and Nina began scrolling through the material they would need to know for the history quiz. He couldn't help but let his eyes rest on Inko. He knew it was pointless, but he was infatuated with the girl. She had a great mindset for success, as well as a nice figure. To top things off, she could get people to work, something he could value in an empress.

 _Get real, Alek. She's a Terran and you're the crown prince of Vers. There's no way things can work out between the two of you._

"Oh, hey Inaho!" Okisuke said, as the bus stopped and let on another passenger.

The group looked up to see their (practically) emotionless friend raise his hand in greeting. The surprise was that only Inaho was there. Not his sister.

"Eh? Yuki's not with you?" Inko asked.

"Aneki overslept. But if she picks up her pace, she should be able to make it in time for drills." Inaho said.

"Oh yeah, I'm helping to supervise for that also." Alek remembered.

"How could you shirk your duty to escort our Goddess of Tuesdays?" Calm said with a slightly joking manner.

"Maybe she's Penivia." Inaho mused.

"Who's that?"

"The goddess of laziness."

Alek couldn't help but laugh. It certainly did fit the style of Yuki Kaizuka, the local lazy warrant officer.

"Laziness is fine. Folks who plan to go to college don't need to worry about drills!" Okojo said. A few moments later, the bus entered a tunnel and he lost focus on his game.

"Oh? You're going to go to college? You might want to brush up on your studies more, then. I don't know if schools are going to accept people who flunk their midterms." Alek jested.

"Hey! How about Calm? He got a C minus on the last tactical exercises!" Okojo retorted.

"At least I didn't flunk the midterms!"

"I've been taking notes on every little thing. I'm taking back my title as top of the class."

"You sure are psyched to take down Inaho, Inko." Nina smiled at her best friend.

Alek found it adorable. Of course, he didn't say anything. Even when he wasn't being tracked, a prince like him had to have standards.

As the bus exited the tunnel, everyone turned to look at the area that was still under construction.

"Disaster relief, huh? I guess even after all these years, things are still being rebuilt." Calm said.

"It's been fifteen years since Heaven's Fall. The martian bastards really went crazy, huh?"

Alek was silent as he bore witness to the fruits of his father's warmongering. It really was something, seeing the results of something set in motion by a greedy father.

"Japan's in a much better condition than the place Nina and I come from."

"Aren't things getting better now? We have a cooperative policy with Mars, after all. And there's even a goodwill ambassador that's coming in a couple days." Inko pointed out.

"Oh, you mean that Vers princess! What's her name again? Assay? Easy?"

Alek sighed. "Asseylum Vers Allusia. That's her name." _It would be rather awkward if I forgot my sister's name._

"Wow, Okisuke. It's no wonder you flunked your midterms."

"Bite me!"

* * *

After Alek got home, he went over to his display, where he kept a small screen that he used in video conferences. Turning it on, he connected it to the Landing Castle that was in orbit above Japan.

A few moments later, the screen buzzed as the face of a blond man who blinked in surprise when he saw him.

"Who are you? And how did you get in contact with a Landing Castle?"

Ah, right. The disguise. Alek took a moment to dissolve the disguise. "My apologies, Count Cruhteo. I just came back from school."

A few seconds later, the count took a knee in respect. "It is I who should apologize, Prince Aleksander. I did not consider the possibility that you were still in your disguise. I will take any punishment you see fit."

Alek laughed lightly. "Count Cruhteo, you should know by now that my sister and I care little for the formalities given to us by our progeny as royalty. This is hardly the first time that you have restrained yourself from a scolding that I most definitely deserved."

He could still remember all the times that he, Asseylum, and Slaine had gotten into trouble while playing around on Vers. While Slaine could have gotten off with a heavier sentence than the two royals, it never came to that because both Alek and Asseylum would claim that they were of equal guilt to Slaine. No one was willing to punish a member of royalty to the same degree that they would a Terran, after all. While it didn't completely stop the beatings that Slaine would receive from time to time, it certainly reduced the number of beatings he received.

Cruhteo allowed himself to stand up before returning Alek's smile with a smile of your own. "Regardless of the past, your highness, I will not allow myself to be beaten in a competition of decorum."

"All decorum aside, is my sister there?" Alek asked.

"You actually just missed her. The shuttle left the Landing Castle a few minutes ago. She'll be arriving on the surface in a couple hours." Cruhteo said.

Alek sighed in disappointment. "I'll remember to visit her after the parade. I just hope she stays safe while she's here."

"As do I. Prince Aleksander, this may be unnecessary, but—"

"I know. I must maintain my anonymity on Earth in order to keep people from knowing who I am. I'll be careful. In the meantime, how is Klancain doing?"

The count's expression brightened upon mention of his son. "He's doing well for himself. When the time comes, I believe he will be a worthy successor."

"You think well of him." Alek smiled.

"Well, a father's pride is his son, after all."

Alek remained silent for a while as Count Cruhteo took a moment to realize what he said. "Forgive me, my lord. I did not mean to open old wounds."

Said prince shook his head. "It's alright, Count Cruhteo. While I never really got to know my father, it does not stop me from appreciating what I have now. If anything, you are just as much of a father to both me and my sister."

The count blinked before bowing. "I am honored, your highness, that you would think of me as such."

A moment later, Alek's doorbell rang. "I'm sorry, to cut this short, but I need to answer the door. Hopefully, we'll get to talk again soon."

"I understand. I will talk to you later, your highness." With that, the channel was shut off.

"He's never going to stop with the formalities, is he?" Alek muttered under his breath.

"Hey, Alek, are you there?" Inko's voice rang out from the door.

Alek took a moment to reapply his disguise before going to the door, heartbeat quickening a bit at the sight of the girl he was slowly becoming infatuated with. "Hey Inko, what's up?"

"I need to go over the plans for tomorrow's parade with you. We don't necessarily have enough personnel to help out with keeping the parade orderly."

"Just ask some more people for help. They'd probably listen to you. Just don't get desperate and mention that you would even use trained monkeys and you'll be fine."

"How did you know I was going to say that?" Inko was a bit red.

Alek smiled. "You've done similar things since middle school."

* * *

As Count Cruhteo closed off the connection, he couldn't help but feel respect for the man he had helped raise. Aleksander Vers Allusia was an exceptional man. While he wasn't as well known to the people of Vers as his sister was, there was no doubt in the count's mind that Aleksander would be a fine emperor when he ascended the throne.

"Count Cruhteo, Count Saazbaum wishes to speak with you."

"Patch him through."

Count Saazbaum's face appeared onscreen. "I hear that Princess Asseylum has just left?"

Cruhteo nodded. "Prince Aleksander just contacted me, wishing for her safety. If something happens to her, it will be my fault for failing to dissuade her."

"You should not be so concerned, Cruhteo. Prince Aleksander has spent years on the planet without anything happening to him. Besides, the Orbital Knights will not take an attack on our princess sitting down. Surely the Terrans know that."

It was no secret to the Orbital Knights that Alek had wanted to travel to Earth for a long time, even pestering his own grandfather for the longest time until he caved in. Not all the Orbital Knights approved, though. Some even considered him a traitor to the people, though those were few and spread out.

"No one on Earth knows of Prince Aleksander's identity. The princess does not have such luxury. One can only hope that the Terrans know better than to interact with the princess with harmful intention."

"Unless it was the Terrans plan to provoke a fight all along. Who knows, it may be a blessing in disguise for the Orbital Knights." Count Saazbaum mused.

Cruhteo was disgusted. "Count Saazbaum, such a thought disgusts me. Never mention it to me again."

"My apologies, Count Cruhteo. You must remember though, the Orbital Knights have longed to touch the surface of the blue planet for a long time, and would gladly take an opportunity to do so."

* * *

 _It really is a beautiful day today._ Alek thought as he directed traffic away from the parade. Though he was essentially stuck with crowd control for the parade, the weather was nice. Maybe he could see his sister today.

It was a tad bit disappointing when he realized that the limo that Asseylum was riding had tinted 200 mm bulletproof glass. In retrospect, it made sense. After all, it was meant to keep the princess safe.

Looking up at the bridge, he noticed Inko trying to get Calm, Okisuke, and Inaho to help out. Only problem was, it wasn't working.

Alek sighed before pressing his finger to his earpiece to call Inko. Infatuated as he may be, he was not about to let it get in the way of getting the job done.

* * *

Inko tapped her earpiece. "Hello?"

"Inko, I know we're understaffed, but unsuccessfully convincing people to help is not going to improve our situation. We're another man down because you're not helping."

"H-hey, I'll come back with someone in a couple minutes at most, alright?"

"…try to be quick."

Inko closed the call for a moment before sighing.

"Was that Alek?" Calm asked.

Inko nodded. "He wants me to get back to helping direct the traffic. I think he's kind of mad that I made him take my spot so I could get you guys to help. So how about? Can any of you help? How about you, Inaho?"

"We should leave now. A missile's coming this way."

Inaho's statement was met with confused stares. A few seconds later, Alek's voice popped up on Inko's earpiece. "Did you get any help yet—"

A sudden explosion cut off Alek, as missiles began raining down on the parade in quick succession. Three missiles came through, cutting through the limousine's escort. The limo managed to make it away from the explosions, though it tumbled over after avoiding the next two missiles.

As everyone got up again to see the upturned limo, they saw the princess slowly crawl out of the wreckage before getting up.

Inko suddenly heard Alek's voice cry out through her earpiece. "Asseylu—"

The last missile cut off his voice, as the explosion consumed both the vehicle and the princess.

* * *

The crown prince of Vers could only stare in horror as the wreckage went up in flames. As he slowly recovered, he realized that Inko was pestering him through the earpiece.

"Alek! Are you alright?"

Alek shook his head before replying through the mic. "I'm not hurt."

"What WAS that though?"

"…That was a declaration of war."

"Alek… are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine." He lied.

He had just watched his sister die with his very own eyes. How could he be fine?

* * *

As Count Cruhteo listened to Count Saazbaum's speech without much thought, he tried to get in contact with Prince Aleksander. After a couple minutes of worry, he finally got through.

"Prince Aleksander! Are you alright?" He asked, relieved to see him.

"I just watched my sister go up in flames. How do you think I feel?" He asked with almost a dead expression.

Cruhteo's face dropped. "I'm sorry, my prince. This was my fault. Had I convinced the princess not to go on this mission, she would still be here."

"It's not your fault. It's the fault of the assassins." Alek replied, still feeling dead on the inside.

"My lord, we'll send in an extraction team for you before the war gets too out-of-control."

"No." Alek's answer was short.

"My lord?" Cruhteo was confused.

"Two reasons. First off, there's no guarantee that the military forces on Earth would not hold me hostage if they pieced together that I was to be extracted. Secondly, there's a good chance that there would be a firefight if the extraction team came for me. I could get involved in the explosions if the team isn't careful. It will be safer for me to go with the ongoing evacuation. Just remember to avoid any vehicles that look like they travelled from Shinawara, whether it be by ground or sea."

"I understand, my lord."

"Connection will probably be cut off the moment the first Landing Castles enter the ground. I won't be able to talk to you for a while. I also can't take this display with me. It would be too suspicious. If I find an opportunity, I'll try to get a message to you. Otherwise, expect no communication from me. Is that clear?" Alek's voice left no room for argument.

"Y-yes, my lord." Cruhteo was shocked.

"If you think I might be among a group of faces, have Slaine Troyard identify them. He knows what my disguise looks like. Aside from that, I will try to make my way to the UFE embassy in order to get a message out."

The count was somewhat put off by having to use the Terran for such an important task, but he complied. Troyard was loyal, after all. "I will do so. Stay safe, Prince Aleksander."

* * *

As the communication channel went dark, Alek stood up. He knew he was going to be late for the ferry, but the best he could do at the moment was to try and catch one of the vehicles still picking up stragglers. From there, he could probably make an eventual path to the UFE embassy to make contact with

However, he had a very different goal in mind.

"I don't care who they are." Alek muttered to himself. "I don't care how many of them there are either. I will avenge my sister."

* * *

 **And scene.**

 **I just started (and finished) Aldnoah Zero less than a week ago, and couldn't help but try my hand at making a change in the story through the introduction of an OC (because unfortunately enough, that is the only way I know how to make a change in the story).**

 **So yeah, there's that. I'm planning to have a total of 24 chapters for this story, probably an epilogue as well. Basically follow the same number of episodes. No idea as to how frequent updates will be as of yet. College will probably be the determining factor.**


	2. Beyond the Horizon

**If anyone's curious as to how I decided on a name for Alek (you probably aren't), I just searched online for the snottiest-looking name I could find that was easy to shorten. And then I assume that the next part of his name would be the same as Asseylum's, seeing as they have the same mother in this fic. Asseylum is a year younger than Alek.**

 **Also, I will not be completely writing out the scenes from the anime. Only where I can add something extra, so don't be surprised to see me skip some scenes.**

* * *

"Slaine, your mission is twofold. Firstly, you are to escort Sir Trillram to Shinagawa, where he will raise the flag on Princess Asseylum's place of death."

"And second?" Slaine asked.

"Ascertain the safety of Prince Aleksander, if possible. It may be that you will be unable to find him, if he is lying low. Trillram must not know about your second mission." Cruhteo said.

"Yes, my lord."

* * *

Alek sighed as he equipped himself with the pair of pistols that he had bought from the store a while back. While he doubted that he would get into a firefight where he would realistically use the pistols, it didn't hurt to keep them on him, as he couldn't bring his Vers manufactured pistols without arousing suspicion from literally everyone. Honestly though, he felt more comfortable with either a rifle or a sword. He simply wasn't as proficient in mid-range fights. Close range and long range were his forte.

He decided on bringing along some books as well, so he could find some way to pass the time when he needed to.

 _Alright, so the plan is to get to the UFE headquarters so I can contact the moon base and maybe get the fighting to stop. If it doesn't… I really hope it stops. I don't really have any other plans besides that. If the assassins are still alive, I will find them and kill them. I should be able to negotiate peace with any of the Orbital Knights I run into, though there's a good chance that it'll be one of the Orbital Knights that considers me a traitor for going to Earth._

Alek finally got to the sidewalk where Inko told him to go for pickup. When he got there, he noticed Inaho waiting with a girl next to him. Judging from her looks, she was probably from Northern Europe. What shocked him though, was the uniform on the younger girl that was behind them.

 _A handmaiden to Vers royalty? What is she doing here?_

Alek perished the thought as the vehicle arrived to pick them up. When Alek and Inaho got in, Okisuke called to them.

"Hey Inaho, you mind taking over watch duty?" He asked. "I've been doing this for a while."

"Yeah, sure. No problem."

"Lazy." Alek muttered under his breath as he went to the front area.

* * *

When Alek got to the front of the transport, Inko noticed almost right away that he looked like someone had died. She had only seen that expression on his face once before in her life.

"Alek, are you alright? You haven't looked well since the parade."

"Some parade it was." Alek said. "With the princess getting assassinated, it was practically her funeral ride."

Inko turned to look at him. "You really were looking forward to seeing the princess, weren't you?"

"Something like that." He replied.

Something still didn't make sense to Inko. Alek had seemed down ever since the assassination. _Is it possible that he knew the princess personally? No, it can't be. Alek's been on this planet since he was born, after all._

"I've only seen that expression on your face once before. That day we first met."

She allowed herself to think back to when she first met him.

— _Flashback—_

 _Inko was in fourth grade when Alek Audet transferred to their school for fifth grade. According to the records, he had moved here while the rest of his family had stayed in Northern Europe to manage the family business. They wanted him to further his education, so they sent him to school in Japan, where the damage from Heaven's Fall was nowhere near as devastating as most of the world._

 _He made quite a few friends on his first day, showing himself to be surprisingly proficient in Japanese._

 _At the end of his first day in Japan though, Inko found him in the playground, with a sad expression on his face._

" _Are you alright?" She asked._

 _Alek turned to her, looking determined not to cry. "I'm alright… it's just, I've never been so far away from my family and friends before. It's weird. I wanted to come here, yet I already miss my old home."_

 _Inko felt sad for him for a few moments before deciding to try and cheer him up. "It'll get better. A lot of the kids here miss their family as well. Many of them lost their family during Heaven's Fall…"_

 _If possible, Alek's face seemed to darken even more. "I don't belong here."_

 _Inko was surprised. "What? You just got here."_

" _I have a family back home. What am I even doing in a place where lots of people have lost their family?"_

 _Inko frowned. "So? It's not like Heaven's Fall was your fault. Don't worry!"_

 _Alek only stayed silent while Inko tried to convince him otherwise. She finally came upon an idea. "Fine! I'll make you like it here so much that you won't want to go back home!"_

 _With that, she grabbed his wrist and pulled him to her family's restaurant._

" _H-hey!" Alek tried to protest, but Inko was set on her plan._

 _Someone tried to follow Alek, probably a caretaker, but Alek shook his head. Inko paid him no heed._

 _When they finally got to the restaurant that Inko's family owned, Inko made sure her parents cooked him a meal that he would really enjoy._

 _While it didn't exactly work like she hoped, it got Alek to brighten up a bit._

 _She continued doing tons of similar things to get him moving, like taking him to a zoo or a museum. Bookstores and libraries in particular fascinated Alek, and he could often be found reading books there after school. On occasion, she would catch him sitting under a tree, drawing something that he found interesting. Usually a bird or a flower._

 _In a couple months, Inko had completely cured Alek of homesickness. Or so she thought._

— _Flashback End—_

Inko turned to Alek. "Alek, did you know the princess before she came here?"

Alek ignored her question, instead looking ahead. "Is that Dr. Yagarai over there?"

After picking him up, Dr. Yagarai went to the front also. "Thanks for picking me up. Who knew my car would pick now of all times to run out of gas?"

"You mean you didn't check it before you left?" Alek seemed more cheerful.

Inko looked at Alek. He sounded cheerful, but at the same time, the enthusiasm felt strained, like he was faking it. She decided to go along with it for the moment. "I expect some gratitude, doctor. That goes for you too, Alek."

"Same for you, Inaho!" Okisuke said from the back where he was sitting.

"Sure."

"Don't ditch us like that, you two. Sheesh. What would have happened if you got left behind?" Calm scolded Inaho and Alek.

"Still though, nice job finding some more people." Okisuke said.

"Are they Russian? Maybe North European? You don't see that many of them here in Shinawara." Calm tried to figure out their nationality.

"I don't mind one bit! Always happy to see a babe. Great job, Inaho! She's a ten!"

"Thanks."

Inko's eyebrows started twitching angrily. "Boys…"

"Did we really expect anything less from our local pervert?" Alek sighed.

The driver suddenly stopped the vehicle as a bunch of Kataphrakts walked past in front of them. One of them stopped to look at the vehicle.

"What are you doing here? The evacuation is supposed to be finished!"

Inko recognized the voice right away. "Yuki? Is that you?"

"Inko? Does that mean Nao-kun is with you?"

Yuki spotted her troublesome little brother almost right away. "Oh for the love of… why?"

"Is the enemy on the way here?" Alek asked.

"Yes. There are high-temperature thermal signatures heading here from Tokyo at this very moment. This area is a projected combat zone. Turn around!"

"But we need to go through here to get to the ferry pier!" Okisuke complained.

"Whatever! Find a safe place and hunker down. We'll hold them off."

 _Best case scenario, it's Count Cruhteo in the Tharsis with Slaine as the pilot of the sky carrier. Worst case scenario, the pilot is either Sir Trillram or Sir Vlad in the Nilokeras or Argyre. Those two hate me with a passion._ Alek thought. _On the upside, Countess Femieanne isn't the one who landed in this area. She'd probably kill everyone regardless of whether or not I was onboard._

* * *

On the way to Shinawara, Slaine couldn't help but feel apprehensive. After all, he didn't want to have to confirm Aleksander's death also. If that happened, he would lose his last friend that he had all this time on Vers.

While Slaine was used to discrimination from all kinds of people, it was unusual for him to find that the youngest royals of Vers did not care about racial superiority. While the times he was able to interact with them outside of lessons was extremely limited, he valued every single minute of that time.

Between the two of them though, he considered himself more loyal to Princess Asseylum.

As he mused about his situation, his radar picked up multiple thermal signatures. Giving up his thoughts, he contacted Sir Trillram right below. "Enemy fighter formation approaching from 1 o'clock."

"So they've turned up to die for nothing, huh? As they wish. Let us give the Terrans a warning."

Slaine watched as the missiles hit the sky carrier, but failed to do damage. The moment the fighters came into view, Trillram gave the order.

"Slaine, shoot them."

"Yes."

As Slaine aimed at them, he couldn't bring himself to pull the trigger. It just didn't seem right, killing people who had no way of defending themselves. He let go of the trigger.

"Oh dear, this boy's upbringing is certainly lacking, Count Cruhteo. No matter. I shall teach you the joys of the battlefield."

Slaine could only watch as Sir Trillram took control of the sky carrier and began cutting down the people that he used to live among.

* * *

Alek walked up to the girl he had seen with Inaho earlier before crouching down, intent on figuring out information. "Are you alright?"

The girl looked up at him, seeming puzzled.

Alek continued. "Sorry, it's just that you seem really down for some reason."

The smaller girl next to her stared at Alek suspiciously. Alek returned the stare. The small girl broke the silence first. "What do you want?"

Alek looked around to make sure that no one was eavesdropping before turning his gaze back to the girl. "I could ask you a similar question. What is a handmaiden to Vers royalty doing here?"

Both girls were startled by the question. "W-what? What do you mean?" The younger one looked extremely nervous.

Alek shushed her before she could start panicking. "Don't worry. I'm from Vers too."

The older girl's eyes widened for a moment. "Aleksander? Is that you?"

Alek's eyes widened. Barely daring to hope, he asked the question that he desperately wanted a confirmation for. "Asseylum?" He whispered.

The hug she gave him was more than enough confirmation, which he returned in kind. "Aleksander! I didn't think I would see you again! Sorry for not saying anything. Eddelrittuo and I are still looking out for assassins."

"Ohh. I see. But how are you- you used a body double, didn't you?"

"Umm, princess? Who is this?" Eddelrittuo asked.

They were abruptly interrupted. "Whoa, Alek's already made a move on the girl!"

"What?! Hook me up too, man!"

They broke off the embrace before Alek turned a very dangerous glare at Okojo. Asseylum took that opportunity to tell Eddelrittuo who Alek was. Suffice to say, Eddelrittuo was embarrassed.

"O-or not."

Behind him, Asseylum giggled.

"So what's going on here?" Calm asked. "Do you two know each other?"

Before Alek could answer, Asseylum spoke first. "Well, we should. After all, he's my older brother."

"…"

"…"

"Ehhhh?"

Only Inko noticed the dead expression on Alek's face was gone. She didn't have much time to ponder over it though, as the radio suddenly came to life. "This is warrant officer Kaizuka. Does anyone copy?"

"Yuki?"

A kataphrakt suddenly appeared in front of them, holding a girl. "Take this girl and run for it!"

"What's going on, warrant officer Kaizuka?"

"There's no time. Go, now!" Yuki pulled out a rifle and started shooting at someone they couldn't see. As soon as Calm and Inaho got the girl on the vehicle, a Martian kataphrakt appeared.

Alek groaned as he recognized the Nilokeras. _It had to be Trillram. Just my luck. Why was he even in Cruhteo's castle? He should be with Count Saazbaum!_

A second later, Yuki's kataphrakt kicked their vehicle, launching them away from the battle. Unfortunately, the kick also resulted in Alek falling and receiving a vicious knock to the head.

"Alek, are you alright?" Inko asked quickly.

"I'll manage." He said, gripping his head as his vision started swimming.

It didn't look like Alek would manage for long if they stayed though, as the driver of their transport suddenly ran out of the vehicle, only to get instantly killed by a piece of debris that went flying his way. One moment later, Yuki's kataphrakt crashed on top of their vehicle. Inko switched over to the driver seat, intent on getting everyone to safety.

Alek's vision started swimming as he slowly got up. He saw Okisuke get onto the roof of the car, as well as Inaho following suit. Asseylum helped him get to a more comfortable position at the rear of the vehicle.

"Just relax for now, Alek. We'll be safe soon."

"And I'm supposed to be one comforting you. Man, I suck at being an older brother."

"That's not true! Remember that one time you kept me safe while I was climbing that statue back home?"

"Don't remind me. I still regret letting you climb that statue. Being a pillow for you was not a good idea. I think I cracked a rib then."

"It wasn't that bad…"

The transport finally stopped moving, so Alek and Asseylum both got out.

"By the way, you should probably think a name to use." Alek advised.

"How about 'Seylum'? It's like how you shorten your name."

"…Eh, I guess it'll work… Huh? Where's Okisuke?"

Alek looked around, trying to find Okisuke. He looked up to the roof. "Hey, Inaho! Where's Okisuke?"

Silence was the only thing Alek received as he finally came to the conclusion that he didn't want to come to.

"Lt. Marito said that that guy is still following us. But we might be able to buy time for the ferry with the refugees to leave port, if we act as decoys." Inaho said.

"Wait, what are you saying?"

"If we take the utility tunnels, we can reach the school from here."

"And do what?" Calm yelled.

"There are trainer kataphrakts in the hangar. And live-fire training rounds. Let's fight. Yuki and the others tried, now it's our turn."

"Alek…" Seylum pulled on his arm to get his attention.

Alek turned to his sister. "That kataphrakt is piloted by Sir Trillram. He's only here for the fun of battle. He needs to be stopped, otherwise it won't just be the people here at risk. It'll be us too."

"But what will you do?"

Alek's eyes seemed to gleam. "Isn't it obvious? I'll fight."

* * *

 **Fun little fact for next chapter. Alek will NOT be fighting. Why? All you have to do is look to what happened to him in this chapter.**

 **Think about what happened to him, and what that would probably cause.**

 **So yeah, one chapter per episode. Once I get to the chapters on Season 2, you'll see some pretty significant changes from the storyline, but Season 1 won't see TOO much divergence.**


	3. The Children's Echelon

**So for any of you who haven't figured out why Alek won't be fighting: He got a concussion. Simple as that.**

 **Also, for everyone wondering about pairings and all that stuff, hold your horses. I will reveal nothing at this point.**

 **That aside, I double-checked the timeline for Aldnoah Zero, and as it turns out, Slaine would arrive AFTER Alek left for Earth. At this point, I'm already committed to this story, so I might as well follow through with it.**

* * *

On the way to the kataphrakt hanger, Alek stumbled as his balance started swaying again. _Damn it. That head injury must have been worse than I thought. I think I got a minor concussion from that._

Inko stopped to check up on Alek. Inaho and Calm stopped for a moment, but Alek waved them off. "Go on ahead. We'll catch up in a moment.

"Alek, are you all right?" Inko asked.

"Physically? Or emotionally?"

"Umm, both?"

"Physically, I think I might have suffered a concussion when I hit my head. Emotionally, I'm actually feeling a lot better."

"Does it have to do with meeting your sister earlier?"

"In a nutshell, yes."

Inko seemed to register that information for a few moments. "Well, you need to rest."

"Wha- I can still pilot."

"Not with a concussion, you can't. We can't have you losing consciousness on us in the middle of a fight. No arguments!"

"… Fine. I'll make my way back for now."

* * *

Slaine could only look on in dejection at the sight of the wreckage before him. _I can't believe they actually killed her. Princess… you and your brother only wished for peace._

He shook his head before walking off. _I need to try and find Prince Aleksander. If I can get him to safety, it'll be for the best._

* * *

"So what you are saying is that not only did you fail to kill all the rats, but you lost track of one of them as well?" Saazbaum asked Trillram, a disappointed look on his face.

"With all respect, Count Saazbaum, she has not eluded me quite yet. There is only one place she could have gone to from that tunnel. The northern district of Shinawara. When she grows impatient, my Nilokeras' eagle eye will—"

"Foolish. Do you think we have the luxury of waiting around? If we do not have the rat's exact location, so be it. We shall destroy the entire city with a meteor bombardment." Saazbaum said.

"Lord Saazbaum, Count Cruhteo's landing castle is too close! Would he not view it as an attack against him?"

"Sacrifices must be made sometimes. Orbital correction will take several hours. During that time, you are to maintain a close watch. If you see Prince Aleksander as well, make sure he dies a martyr. It will further our cause."

"Yes, milord."

Once the communication was disconnected, Saazbaum mused silently to himself. Killing Prince Aleksander, while somewhat regretful, would help to reinforce their cause. While most people would balk at the idea of killing royalty, Saazbaum knew it would further the cause and strengthen its resolve to the point of invulnerability.

"In the end, it is all to destroy this cycle of hatred."

* * *

"Alek!" Seylum greeted her brother. "What's going on?"

Alek look mildly disappointed. "I was going to help set up an operation with my friends, but then it turns out my physical orientation is all messed up because of a concussion from earlier. Should get better soon, though."

Seylum blinked. "I should help."

"Great. Let's go see Doctor Yagarai and see what he needs help with."

Eddelrittuo walked up to Alek before bowing. "Please forgive my rudeness from earlier, your highness."

Alek sighed. "I swear. Everyone on Vers needs to stop addressing us so formally. Raise your head, Eddelrittuo. I care little for formalities. Besides, most people don't recognize me at first glance, so it makes sense."

Dr. Yagarai was happy to receive help. Only, it wasn't what Alek was expecting. Seylum didn't really see it coming either. "Tape the curtains shut?"

"Yes. We're trying to minimalize signs of human activity in the area. That way, the martian kataphrakt won't know we're here right away."

"Hmm. Sounds like a good idea."

After they finished, Seylum turned to her brother. "Now what?"

"I'm going to go see what Inaho and the others have planned. You can wait here. I'll be back in a bit." Alek walked off.

Seylum decided to follow her brother after he was a good distance. Eddelrittuo protested, but followed the princess regardless.

When they got to the building that Alek had disappeared into, they heard conversation.

"So the three of you will be in the kataphrakts. You guys still need two people for the truck. I should be able to help." Alek said.

"No. You received a concussion. We need to use someone who won't lose consciousness while driving." Another voice said.

Alek sighed. "Fine. Who do you plan to ask, then?"

Before she knew it, Seylum's feet were carrying her in. "Please let me help."

Calm looked up at her. "Alek's sister…"

Eddelrittuo was about to interject when Alek got to it first. "Are you crazy?"

"Alek, please. I feel that it is my duty to go through this time of crisis, this trial."

"I just found you again and you're putting yourself at risk already?"

Seylum drilled Alek with a stare. Alek took a step back. This wasn't her usual puppy eyes stare that she used when she wanted something trivial from him. This was a determined stare that said she was going through with this no matter what.

Alek gritted his teeth before turning around. "Inaho, if my sister dies tomorrow because of this operation, I will shoot you full of holes before throwing you off a cliff."

Inaho nodded. "Understood."

"So who else do we ask?" Calm asked.

"Let me help you take him down. He killed my father." Another girl said, walking in.

"Your lives will be on the line." Alek pointed out.

"I understand. You can count on me." The girl took off her hood, revealing brown curly hair.

Everyone nodded in understanding before Inaho spoke again. "We carry out the plan tomorrow morning. We leave at first light."

* * *

Inko was going back to the student council room to sleep after talking with Inaho when she heard hushed voices coming from down the hall. Curious, she followed the voices to their source.

"Are you out of your mind? Why would you volunteer for something like that?"

"Alek, I've told you already. This entire war is my fault! I need to take responsibility for it!"

"And I've already told you that it wasn't your fault, but rather someone who hated Vers to such a degree that they would even kill the princess."

"But why? Couldn't they have considered the consequences of their action?"

Inko inched closer, hoping to understand more of the conversation.

"We also have to consider the possibility that it was an inside job. One of Orbital Knights might have been the driving factor behind the assassination."

"Do you think that the Orbital Knight that's currently attacking will stop if we reveal ourselves?"

"No. At least, not for me."

"What, why not?"

"Because that particular kataphrakt is the Nilokeras, piloted by Sir Trillram. Trillram hates me. Personally, I think he's a prime suspect for the assassination."

 _How does he know the name of that kataphrakt?_

"If that's true, why did the assassins target me and not you?"

"I'm guessing the reason is you were the goodwill ambassador—"

"Alek?"

"Hold on a moment. I'll be right back."

Inko only registered what was going on for one second before she found herself pinned to the ground. She felt the pressure leave her back a couple seconds later.

"Inko?" Alek asked with a tone of surprise. "Were you eavesdropping?"

"Well, maybe a bit." She said.

Alek sighed. "How much did you hear?"

"Starting from when you asked your sister if she was crazy all the way until you mentioned she was the goodwill ambassador. How are the two of you related to Vers?" Inko asked.

Alek looked around. "Come with me." He said, pulling her into a classroom. Seylum followed along as well.

After closing the door, Alek closed his eyes as the light of Aldnoah enveloped him, removing his disguise. Seylum followed suit. "Sorry for not telling you the truth all these years."

"W-what is that?" Inko backed off, a bit shocked.

While the difference between the disguise and the real Alek wasn't that significant, it was enough of a contrast between his long brown hair and his currently blond, cropped hair that she did a double-take. Seylum was significantly different, having much longer hair, along with the dress that she was wearing.

"Holographic disguise. This is what you've been seeing ever since I came to Earth seven years ago. Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Aleksander Vers Allusia, Firstborn of the Second Emperor of Vers, and Crown Prince to the Vers Empire." Alek said, giving her a bow.

"And I'm his sister. Asseylum Vers Allusia. Princess of Vers." Seylum- or rather, Asseylum said.

Inko may have been shocked, but she was still able to piece together information. "So when I asked if you knew the princess…"

"That would have been putting it lightly. It's hard not to know your younger sister."

"Then why were you on Earth for so long?" Inko asked.

"Because I pestered the emperor until he allowed me to visit this planet for around ten years, with the condition being that I would take the throne upon my return to the homeworld. Any other questions?"

Inko looked over at Asseylum. "And how are you still alive? We all saw that car go up in flames."

"I felt unwell from the gravity of Earth, so our security detail insisted that I use a body double. She was the one who died in the attack."

Inko seemed satisfied with that explanation until something else occurred to her. "Hold on a second. Does that mean I've known a member of royalty for seven years?!"

"… Go to sleep, Inko. You need your rest for tomorrow morning. I promise I'll answer any question that you may have after we make it out of this."

"Oh fine." Inko went to find the student council room.

As she was drifting to sleep, Alek's choice of words suddenly seemed to take meaning. _He expects us to get out alive tomorrow! And I get to ask any question I want? This is my chance to get embarrassing stories out of Alek!_

* * *

As the two siblings reactivated their disguises, Asseylum looked at her brother curiously. "ANY question that she might have?"

"She's already heard a lot. Might as well sate her curiosity."

"Even if she asks for embarrassing stories?" The concern was evident on the princess's face.

"Alright, probably not that." Alek admitted.

"You sure you're not doing this just because you have a crush on her?" Asseylum asked.

"Umm, well…" _Dammit. She got me. How in the world did she figure that out?_

"Aww, you found someone you like. That's great, Alek!" Alek's sister had a big smile on her face.

"You really think so? I honestly think I don't have a chance."

"Huh? Why?"

Alek sighed. "Because she's a terran and I'm the crown prince of Vers. No one on Vers would stand for it. Their future emperor, marrying a commoner terran? Unthinkable. Yet despite all that, I still think she would make a great empress."

"So why do you think she would be a good empress?"

"Great mindset focused on improvement. Plus she can motivate people to work as well. Usually."

"Usually?" Asseylum asked.

"During the parade, we were actually helping to regulate traffic. She may have gotten a bit sidetracked with trying to get a couple of our friends to help."

"That can't be the only reason you start developing feelings."

"I swear, you are way too perceptive sometimes."

"Comes from being your sister." Asseylum said with a sweet smile.

Alek looked out a window wistfully. "She's the first friend I made when I came here. Helped to learn about Earth, even if I did get caught up in a lot of her antics."

"It can't be as bad as what I got you involved in, can it?"

"Nothing as bad as that time you cracked my rib. But we're talking too much. Get some rest. You'll need it for tomorrow."

"Promise you'll tell me more about her?" Asseylum asked her brother.

 _Dammit. She's doing the puppy eyes again._ Alek sighed. "Promise."

* * *

Next morning, right before the operation started, Alek gave Seylum a hug. "Stay safe, Seylum."

"You too, Alek."

As soon as the flares were fired and the vehicles started moving, Alek turned to Eddelrittuo, who was standing there holding her hands together. "Let's go. We need to get everyone moving while the kataphrakt is focused on the truck."

"Yes…" The little girl looked uncertain.

Alek looked at his sister's handmaiden before given her a reassuring smile. "They'll come back alive."

"But—"

"Come on, let's get moving. That way, we can give the others a warm welcome when we meet up again."

She relented. "Alright."

Alek started moving towards the building where all the civilian were when his vision suddenly went dizzy and he almost collapsed. _Just great._

Eddelrittuo was about to help him when Dr. Yagarai got there first. "What's wrong?"

The prince got up before rubbing his head. "Concussion. It was bothering me yesterday, flared up just now. Biggest thing that it affects is my balance. Everything else is still fine. I can manage for the moment. You can do the diagnosis later. We need to get going."

"Right. I'll help you along for now."

Once they made it through the tunnel, everyone was buffeted by a blast of wind. Yuki was the first to notice the landing craft with Marito on it.

Alek breathed a sigh of relief. _Thank goodness. We'll make it out of this alive._ He looked over at the bridge where the operation would conclude. _We need to provide support as soon as possible. The operation will probably work, but it's best that we have a contingency plan._

* * *

When Slaine was flying to where Sir Trillram was, his cameras picked up on some faces in a landing craft. He sighed in relief as he saw the face that Alek used for his disguise among them.

 _At least Prince Aleksander is safe. It's good to see at least that much. I would pick him up now, but there's still too much risk involved. For the moment, I'm relieved to see that he's safe._

His relief didn't last for long, as he saw clouds of smoke appear in the distance, as well as a trailer driving quickly on the ground. He opened up a communication channel to Sir Trillram.

"Sir Trillram! What in the world is that?"

"The trailer!"

"Huh?" Slaine was confused. _Is he referring to the one I saw earlier?_

"Give me its position! Where is it?"

Intimidated, Slaine reported it right away. "T-to the Southwest! Heading towards the city center."

After closing the communication channel, he noticed he was being shot at by a terran kataphrakt. He hesitated for a second before deciding to fire, making sure only to damage it, not destroy it.

"I'm sorry!"

As he flew past, he felt an impact on one of the wings of his sky carrier. The blueprints showed damage in the left wing. He had no choice but to land and make repairs. In the middle of the repairs, he noticed that the Nilokeras fell into the water before being taken down by an orange kataphrakt. As he viewed it through his binoculars, he could only stare, shocked at what he was seeing. Only one thought went through his mind.

 _Princess Asseylum is alive…_

* * *

Alek breathed a sigh of relief as he saw that Inaho had taken down the Nilokeras. _That's one less problem to deal with. And it looks like he kept to his word as well. On a different note, I kind of want my own personal kataphrakt. I'm not sure a standard one would be best for me._

He walked back down to where Eddelrittuo was pacing around, expectation in her eyes.

"She's alive. They all made it out."

Eddelrittuo's face broke into a smile as she started running up the stairs to the exit.

"Whoa, hold on for a moment. I know you're elated, but don't be impatient. They're going to load on the kataphrakts, so you have to stay clear until they get loaded on. THEN we can go see our sister."

Eddelrittuo blinked in confusion. "Our sister?"

"Well, how else are we going to explain who you are to everyone?"

"Oh."

 _On top of that, I think I owe Inko some answers now. And Asseylum is probably going to ask me more questions about Inko… crap._

* * *

Slaine breathed heavily as he fired his third shot into Trillram's body. It was shocking, to say the least, discovering that there was a group of people among the Orbital Knights who wanted the princess dead as well as the prince. For the moment, they were safe. However, he had no idea as to who else was a conspirator.

 _I can't even trust Count Cruhteo with this information. What if he's in league with these assassins? If he is, I can't even tell him about Prince Aleksander's survival. At best, I can give him a false lead and suggest that he may be going to a certain location. If one of the assassins gets ahold of this information, they might want to make martyrs out of the prince and princess. I can't let that happen to them._

Slaine took a deep breath. He owed the two royals. Asseylum for saving his life, and Aleksander for being his friend, even if it was only for around a year before the prince decided to travel to Earth to learn more about it. He still owed him.

 _Prince Aleksander, Princess Asseylum, I swear I will protect the two of you with my life._

* * *

 **That pretty much wraps up this chapter.**

 **The first big divergence will probably be in Chapter 7 (each chapter for each episode), as I believe that's the significant turning point for the series.**

 **Also, I plan to get Alex his own personal kataphrakt eventually, though there's a good chance that I'll plagiarize from another anime/manga for the design (I'm not the greatest when it comes to creativity).**


	4. Point of No Return

**I'll be honest, Aldnoah Zero Episode 4 was one of my favorites, if only because we got to see a crane used to knock down a kataphrakt a few notches.**

* * *

As soon as the kataphrakts were loaded on the carrier, Alek walked outside to greet everyone, breathing a sigh of relief as he saw his sister.

"Try not to scare me like that again, alright?" He asked.

"I make no promises." Seylum said with a slightly mischievous smile.

Just before they went into the carrier, a sudden rain of meteors destroyed Shinawara, sending out a huge shockwave that buffeted everyone on the outside.

"What was that?" Inko asked.

"The landing craft's radar picked up multiple large masses above the city."

"Meteor bombardment. Basically a scorched earth tactic that the Vers Empire has access to only on this planet, due to the fact that there are multiple large pieces of debris in orbit. They essentially edit the path of the meteors so as to drop them on a specified location." Alek summarized.

"Damn Martians."

No one noticed except Inko and Inaho, but Seylum and Alek stiffened up, if only for a fraction of a second.

* * *

Slaine was flying out when he saw the meteor bombardment. To his relief, the landing craft had already left the pier and was a safe distance away. _So the prince and princess are safe for now. That's good._

He then frowned as he realized something. _I'll probably need to tell Count Cruhteo that Prince Aleksander managed to escape. At least I can tell him that I have no idea where they were going._

As his mind was forming ideas, he flew the sky carrier back to Cruhteo's Landing Castle.

* * *

Yuki did not have a pleasant fall. The moment the landing craft had accelerated, she collided with her little brother in the head. Suffice to say, skulls were not comfortable to fall on top of.

"Sheesh, what's the helmsman doing?" Yuki trailed off as she noticed a pretty young girl looking at Inaho.

"Um… thank you for earlier… Inaho, right?" The girl asked.

"Yeah. Inaho Kaizuka."

She smiled before continuing. "Thank you very much, Inaho. I know Alek already told you this, but allow me to reintroduce myself. I'm Alek's brother, Seylum."

"Ehh? You're his sister? I thought you were his girlfriend!" Yuki turned to Alek, who was leaning on the wall of the hallway. "You have a sister, Alek?"

"Two sisters, but yeah." He said, pointing out Eddelrittuo. "They were going to visit me, but got stuck during evacuation, so I didn't find them until yesterday."

"Oh, that's nice." Yuki said, slightly surprised to find out that Alek Audet, the model student and president of the student council, had a sister. "You've never mentioned her before."

"You never asked." Alek pointed out. "And Yuki, the idea that Seylum is my girlfriend is a disgusting train of thought. I am not interested in dating a blood relative."

"Fair enough."

"Umm, if it's not too much trouble, could you perhaps show me around the ship, Inaho?" Seylum asked.

Seylum turned to her brother, and some kind of message seemed to pass between them before she turned to face Inaho again. "Please?"

Yuki did not have a good idea of where this was going, though she thought she did. As such, she patted Inaho on the shoulder and gave him a grin and thumbs up.

Both Alek and Inaho responded by giving Yuki a frown.

 _That's almost as bad as suggesting that I'm dating my sister. Besides, why would Inaho be interested in dating my sister? Far as I've seen, the only face he ever has is a grumpy-looking face._ Alek thought. _And did Inaho find out about Asseylum? If so, I might as well grab Inko._

He glanced over at the other girl who had volunteered to drive the truck. _She probably knows as well. Sheesh, talk about keeping secrets. Three people have already figured it out after one day. At this rate, we might as well declare it to the whole world._

* * *

Inaho was somewhat surprised when Alek brought Inko as well down as well. He figured that Alek was probably some form of royalty, seeing as his sister had turned out to be Princess Asseylum. Granted, there were other possibilities, but this one was the most simple and logical.

Eddelrittuo was rather vocal about the idea of the two royals revealing themselves. "Your highnesses!"

"It's fine, Eddelrittuo."

Alek and Asseylum removed the disguises. Inaho blinked, somewhat surprised. He didn't expect Alek to have blonde hair as well.

"Right, reintroductions are in order. Inko already knows this, but my real identity is Aleksander Vers Allusia, Crown Prince to the Vers Empire."

"I am Asseylum Vers Allusia, younger sister to Aleksander."

Rayet was shocked to say the least. _There are two royals?_

Inaho's response was more along the lines of curiosity. "Have you been using that disguise for all this time that we've known each other?"

"For all these seven years? Yes. I was advised to do so, mainly because people might make an association between my face and the face of our father and react poorly to it."

"Your father…"

"Second Emperor Gilzeria. The instigator of the first war between Earth and Vers, and the one indirectly responsible for Heaven's Fall."

"You certainly do look a lot like father, at least from the photos we have of him." Asseylum commented."

"Sad but true. But I digress. We owe a lot of explanations."

* * *

"Trillram was killed?" Cruhteo was shocked.

"Yes. In the meteor bombardment."

"To think that someone would attack my territory during a battle. Have they no honor as a fellow Orbital Knight?" Cruhteo seemed offended, before suddenly realizing the possible repercussions of a bombardment. "What of Prince Aleksander? Were you able to find him?"

Slaine nodded. "I believe I saw him in his disguise. He was on an evacuation vehicle that was heading out by sea. They had barely left the area, so I was unable to determine a direction that they would travel."

Cruhteo breathed a sigh of relief before resuming a harsh stare. "If he is out of danger, then it will be fine for us to continue our operation. Summon Sir Vlad. Tell him to hunt down the remaining Terrans. We shall avenge her Highness!"

"Milord Cruhteo." Slaine said. "About that…"

"Hmm?" Cruhteo raised an eyebrow.

Slaine realized his error just as Cruhteo raised his eyebrow. _I can't tell him about Princess Asseylum's survival. He might be working with the assassins._ "Nothing, milord. Inflicting further devastation upon a previously conquered area… given the sentiments of Princess Asseylum and Prince Aleksander, that might not be the best course of action."

"Oh? Do you wish to have a say in avenging her Highness?" Cruhteo asked.

Slaine could only look confused before Cruhteo hit him hard in the abdomen with his staff, forcing him to crumple to the floor.

"Prince Aleksander may have recommended you for the last mission, but do not begin to presume that you have stepped onto higher ground. Know your place, Terran. You think yourself worthy of doing battle at Vers' side?"

He continued. "For fifteen long years, we Orbital Knights ingloriously looked upon the Earth from the shattered remains of the moon, yearning for the day that we would reach out and take it! With her death, the Princess has made that cherished dream a reality. And you dare to presume that the Prince would stay silent as the killers of his sister ran around free? This battle belongs to the Orbital Knights. It is no concern of yours."

As he left, Slaine could only stare at the ground as his thoughts began processing possibilities. _He's trying to exploit the Princess' death, as well as ignore the Prince's wishes. I know for a fact that Prince Aleksander wouldn't stand for this, even if the Princess had died. He would go directly for the killers._

 _Trillram was a guest on this landing castle. This assassination conspiracy must have a ringleader. Trillram mentioned a faction. Could it be Cruhteo? No… it couldn't be. What do I do? Prince Aleksander... what would you do in this situation?_

* * *

Alek was sitting next to Seylum while Calm, Inko, and Nina took a moment to remember Okisuke.

"So Okisuke…" Nina was downcast.

"Man, he was a moron to the end." Calm said.

"A moron, a pervert, and a slacker." Inko agreed.

"Poor guy, dying and then getting chewed out like this."

"He shouldn't have gotten himself killed then."

Alek lamented his death also, he just wasn't as vocal about it. As useless as Okisuke was, he was still a friend.

"They started a war and destroyed the moon. Heaven's Fall wrecked the Earth. They've been looking down on us from the Satellite Belt ever since. I'll make them pay! For Okojo and everyone on Earth that was killed! Martian bastards…" Calm fumed.

Inko was the only one who noticed Alek and Seylum taking on even more of a melancholic expression at Calm's tirade.

"Are you alright?" She mouthed to him.

"I'll be fine." Alek mouthed back.

He turned to his sister, who was leaning on his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

Seylum looked up at her brother. "Should I be?"

Alek shook his head. "I wouldn't be surprised if you weren't. Just remember, little sister, I'm here for you."

She smiled slightly. "Thanks, Alek. I really do appreciate it."

"Hey, I'd do almost anything to keep you safe."

" _Almost_ anything?" Seylum looked at her brother curiously.

"Next time you climb up a statue, I'm using a mattress to catch you."

Both of them remembered that one time.

— _Flashback_ —

" _Hey Aleksander, look at me! I'm so high up!" Asseylum giggled from where she was on the statue of their grandfather._

" _Asseylum! It's not safe to go that far up! You'll get hurt if you fall!" Aleksander shouted up to his sister._

" _I won't fall! I'm all nice and safe up— Wah!" Asseylum slipped._

" _Asseylum!"_

 _On the upside, Aleksander managed to get to where his sister was falling just in time to catch her. On the downside, Aleksander was still a little kid. Eight year old children are not particularly well-known for their strength, and the Crown Prince of Vers was no exception. He collapsed under the impact. Asseylum took a moment to get up._

" _Ow…" She rubbed her head before remembering her brother. "Aleksander! Are you alright?"_

" _I think I broke a bone."_

" _I'll go get help!"_

 _After getting medical attention for him, the Emperor himself decided to chastise the two young royals for their foolhardiness. Yes, both of them._

" _Asseylum, statues are not meant to be climbed. Your actions today put both you and your brother in danger. Aleksander, you should have stopped your sister in the first place, instead of letting her climb up the statue. Is that understood?"_

" _Yes, grandfather." The siblings bowed their heads, admonished._

— _Flashback End_ —

"But why did you grandfather give you a scolding as well?"

"Probably because I let you climb up the statue in the first place. It kind of irritated him. I think he liked that statue or something."

* * *

Once they landed, almost everyone helped to resupply the ship for the next time they went on the move.

"Here's the rations. You alright with carrying them?" Nina said, as she placed the box on Alek's already hefty load. Compared to everyone else's, he was carrying enough boxes that his vision was blocked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Alek said, adjusting the boxes. "Vision is kinda limited, but I can carry these no problem."

After staying out of action for the entire day because of a concussion, he was eager to get back to work, hence the extra boxes.

Calm seemed to take it the wrong way, though. _I need to at least be as manly as Alek is!_ "Hey, I can take another box as well."

"You sure, Calm?" Inko asked.

"Sure. Pass another one." He said. Instant regret followed, as he dropped the boxes on his toes. "OW! Alek, how do you carry such heavy boxes?"

"A good daily dose of workouts keeps the body strong and healthy. I'd say do 100 pushups, 100 situps, 100 squats, and 10km of running and you could probably do the same as me." Alek said with a completely straight face.

"Wait, seriously?" Calm's eyes widened. _I can't do that much every day!_

Alek started laughing. "Oh you should see your face. I'm kidding. Maybe around half of that every other day to have decent muscles. Plus I'm using the palms of my hand to lift up the boxes. I get double the surface area I would normally get if I used only my fingers. Also, use your legs to pick it up, not your arms. Legs are the strongest muscle, after all. just lean back a bit and let the legs lift it up."

Calm did as Alek suggested. "Hey, it's actually easier now. But still… why is it so heavy?"

"Because your muscles aren't as developed."

"Hey!"

"Still, it's rare to see you help so much, Calm." Inko said.

"Yeah, you usually play hooky during the military drills." Nina agreed.

"That was then. Now, I'll do anything if it means wiping out the Martians." Calm said.

The slightest twitch came out of Alek, though this wasn't so much from the shame of being one of them as much as it was a different thought. _I'm not willing to bet that he'll maintain that stance if he meets Asseylum._

As they were carrying the boxes with rations, an alarm suddenly sounded. Alek groaned in frustration. _Oh come on! It hasn't even been a day!_

"What the…" Calm said.

Alek was the first to snap into action. "Get these rations to the boat and prep the ship to leave. Now!"

He turned to everyone else. "Everyone! Into the boat. Hurry!"

Alek ran over to the closest person with a radio, the commander for the other landing craft that had arrived. "Does the kataphrakt squadron know what's attacking?"

"What?" The commander asked.

"What's attacking us? A Martian kataphrakt?"

He nodded. "We believe so. Now, hurry onto the ship. We might not have time to—"

"What does the kataphrakt look like?"

"Kid, this is no time for—"

Alek had lost his patience at this point, and snatched the radio from the commander's belt. "Kataphrakt platoon. Do you have a description of the Martian kataphrakt that is currently attacking? As in color or decal?"

The radio crackled as someone responded. "This is Appaloosa 33. Martian kataphrakt is white with some bulk to it. I recall seeing some stripes on it. It is currently hiding behind a wall."

Alek blanched. _White with red stripes. There are only two kataphrakts in Cruhteo's landing castle. One of them is the Tharsis, but the Tharsis doesn't have stripes… which means—_

The commander snatched the radio from Alek. "Who do you think you are, demanding information from my troops?"

"Have the kataphrakt platoon maintain a distance from the enemy kataphrakt. It specializes in close range combat." Alek said.

"Huh?"

"Are you daft? Have your soldiers maintain a distance from that kataphrakt. Now! Their lives will be wasted if they continue with the standard approach!"

"U-understood." The commander stammered, intimidated by Alek's sudden change of tone. "Appaloosa Platoon, maintain a good distance from the kataphrakt."

Captain Magbaredge appeared. "What is going on? Get back to the ship. We leave in a few moments!"

Once Alek got back to the ship with everyone else, Inko and Inaho met up with him just outside. "What's going on?"

"We're getting attacked by a kataphrakt. I told their commander to have our kataphrakts maintain a safe distance."

"Do you know anything about that kataphrakt?" Inaho asked.

"That is the Argyre, the customized kataphrakt of Sir Vlad. It specializes in close range combat, using a beam sword that can cut through practically anything. Other than that, it maintains the superior battle specs that all Martian kataphrakts hold."

All of a sudden, Alek saw the Argyre's beam sword hit the other ship that was docked, going through the bridge and instantly killing the crew. The kataphrakt began walking towards the ship that had its beam sword.

Alek swore. _This is going from bad to worst._ "Get inside right now. We do NOT want to be outside when that thing explodes."

He was right. They barely got in just as the other ship exploded, pelting the ship they were on with a lot of debris.

Inside though, had a whole different set of problems. While not as physically dangerous, it was just as risky. Namely, Asseylum's suggestion that she go reveal herself to the Martian knight in hopes that he would stop attacking. Eddelrittuo was trying to convince her otherwise, but it wasn't working too well.

He was about to go convince his sister to avoid doing something so reckless when Inaho spoke to her.

"Please stay here."

Somehow, that had more effect than any argument that Alek or Eddelrittuo would have come up with. After doing so, he walked out. Alek pinched his nose in irritation before going out as well.

"Hey, hold on you two!"

"Inko, I need you up there." Inaho said.

Inko blinked. "Up where?"

Alek merely tapped Inko on the shoulder and then pointed up at the control room for the crane. "Up there."

He got to one of the kataphrakts before Calm did. "I'm taking this one."

"Oi, what about me? The only one left is the one with the broken stabilizer!" Calm said.

"Use it then." Alek pointed out. "Besides, who here was your guys instructor when Yuki wasn't around?"

"Oh fine!"

As Alek got in, he contacted Inaho. "So what's the plan?"

After Inaho told him, Alek shook his head. "You're crazy. Might as well give it our best shot."

* * *

Inko couldn't help but worry as Inaho, Alek, and Calm all started moving. Inaho took point while Alek and Calm took to the corners to surround him. As soon as Inaho engaged the Argyre in combat, Inko began moving the crane so that she could smash its load into the side of the Argyre. Once she got in position though, worry started gripping at her.

 _What if I hit Inaho?_

"Calm down. Don't worry about hitting Inaho by accident. The Argyre is way bigger." Alek's voice came over the coms.

"Wait, did you read my mind?"

"Nah, I guessed. But you've always been a huge worrier. Second-guessing yourself is a bad habit of yours."

"You've told me this before."

"Hey, relax. That's the trick. Also, swing the crane around in ten seconds."

"What?"

She barely managed to get it in time. To her relief, she pulled it off just perfectly. "Alright, one more time!" She swung the crane around again. Sadly enough, it didn't work quite as well.

"Or not." Alek's voice came over the coms again.

"Yeah, probably not." She agreed.

As the enemy kataphrakt began blocking bullets from Calm, Alek took his kataphrakt around to aim from the back.

Inko was suddenly reminded of why Alek was considered _the_ prodigy in school before Inaho started showing top scores.

— _Flashback_ —

" _Inko, you take way too long in checking your systems." Alek said, writing on a clipboard as he gave her a score of 97 on her drills._

 _During their very first kataphrakt drills, Alek was the assistant supervisor, helping Yuki teach all the tricks to piloting a kataphrakt. It worked out really well, until they realized that Alek was taking off one or two points from everyone for inefficiency._

" _Everyone's supposed to check their systems before starting up their kataphrakt though." Inko pointed out._

" _Yeah, but you could shorten your time if you look at only a few key components. Unless you're in a broken kataphrakt or someone screwed up the programming big time, kataphrakt errors don't appear. In battle, the amount of time you take checking up your kataphrakt could mean the difference between life and death."_

" _What do you suggest then?" Inko asked._

" _Try doing what I do. Take only a cursory glance at all the systems and ignore the ones that don't have significant impact on your kataphrakt's performance."_

" _What about your marksmanship though? How do I do as well as you?" Inko asked. That was the one thing she really wanted to achieve when she was piloting._

" _You already can. There's one trick and one trick alone that you need. Seek perfection with every single shot." Alek said with a smile. "After all, if you're not aiming to hit perfection every single time, you can't be the best marksman._

— _Flashback End_ —

With a few well-placed bursts, Alek took out the Argyre's left arm, aiming at the thinnest part of the kataphrakt. The next few bursts were all aimed at the leg, damaging the right one significantly.

 _So this is what Alek's like when he's in his zone._ Inko watched, amazed.

He was about to finish it with shots to the other leg, but a battleship shell distracted him, almost hitting the Argyre, which gave it enough time to get up and escape, though at a somewhat slow speed. Alek turned to see the UES Wadatsumi, the amphibious assault ship currently in use by the UFE.

 _Huh. I should have avoided going for the vital points right away. He might have stayed for a bit longer._ Alek thought.

* * *

After they got the kataphrakts loaded on the carrier, Calm had a happy grin on his face. "Exactly as planned, huh?"

"What plan? That was really close back there! It's not like you to be so reckless, Inaho." Inko said.

"I suppose not…" Inaho said, looking at the door.

Alek followed his gaze and was surprised to see his sister there, bowing to Inaho. He drew up the unlikely, yet very possible solution. _You cannot be serious. Inaho, having a crush on my sister?_ He sighed. _Might as well let it be for the moment. He'll probably lose interest after a while._

He decided to go sit at the front of the landing craft as it began going towards the Wadatsumi. Inko joined him a moment later to think about things.

"Something going on, Alek?"

"He'll be back." Alek said.

"Hmm?"

"If there's one thing that Sir Vlad values, it's his honor as a warrior. He'll be back seeking revenge. I know it."

Inko whacked him on the head, an affectionate gesture from when they first became friends. "Hey, we drove him off this time. We can do it again, right?"

Alek smiled. "I guess you're right. For now, let's take it easy."

"Oi, you two! Get in! We're loading, so everyone needs to be inside!"

 _Oh come on._

* * *

 **Annnnd scene. Some of you might find Cruhteo's behavior OOC for the purposes of this fanfic, but remember: He's still very proud of his position as a count of the Vers Empire. And in a society that is essentially racist to earthlings, he's bound to consider the opinion of Slaine as not valuable. It's actually not that different from how certain races were mistreated simply because they weren't the same race as their oppressors.**

 **Either way, tell me what you think, suggest your pairings. I realize a ton of you have been asking for certain pairings for a while, but I have some of them set in stone already. However, there is nothing wrong with pairings that will appear in the epilogue. So you can suggest those and I'll consider taking some of them for the epilogue.**

 **Until next chapter!**

 **XWX**


	5. Shadow of the Prince

**So yeah, chapter 5. We finally get to see the driving force behind Alek's actions.**

* * *

"How can this be? My granddaughter Asseylum, assassinated. My grandson, Aleksander, missing. And we go to war with Earth without so much as a declaration? Surely they knew the repercussions of harming a goodwill ambassador. Knowing that, why? What is going on over there?" Emperor Rayregalia Vers Rayvers mused as he discussed the matter with an aide.

"We were told that the assassination was a terrorist act." The aide said.

"But does that not imply no hostile intent on part of the UE?" The emperor asked.

"It is obvious that anti-Vers factions exist on Earth. To allow this assassination in spite of that leads me to believe that security was deliberately lax. There is also a possibility that the assassination was perpetrated by the UE under the guise of a terrorist attack."

"To what end?" The current emperor of Vers may have been old, but he was no fool to believe such weak logic.

"Her highness is of royal blood, one able to summon forth the power of Aldnoah. That bloodline is the very foundation of the Vers Empire's might."

The emperor frowned. "This is baffling. Inform the UE that we are suspending hostilities and then uncover the truth."

"Yes, your majesty."

As he left, the emperor frowned. He was particularly fond of his grandchildren, and hearing that both of them were missing was easily the most distressing news he had received in a while, especially with Aleksander gone and no one suitable to take the throne aside from him.

 _Aleksander, wherever you are, I hope you are safe. You may wish to atone, but you should not do so with your life. True atonement is in what you can do for the people, not what your death might achieve._

* * *

Slaine stood over the edge of a kataphrakt hangar, reminiscing when the Argyre was brought in. His eyes widened upon realizing the damage that had been dealt to it. _It's head… and its arms and legs as well? Who could have done so much damage to the Argyre? Are the Terrans really that skilled?_

After receiving a somewhat scathing putdown by Sir Vlad, he turned back to look at the Argyre. _Prince Aleksander may be with the princess at the moment, but even he can't handle multiple assassins at once. Wherever they are, I hope they're safe, though the mention of an orange kataphrakt has me curious… is it connected with the Prince Aleksander and Princess Asseylum?_

* * *

Alek was taking his time outside to draw the line of the ocean when Seylum popped up behind him. "I didn't know you could draw." She inquired, sitting down by him.

Alek smiled lightly. "Drawing and reading were pretty much the only thing I did during my breaks after my routines."

"And our video chats."

"Yeah, those too. I got pretty good at drawing after a while." Alek said with a smile, showing her his finished sketch, a sun setting over the horizon of the ocean. "What do you think?"

"It's beautiful…" Seylum stared at the sketch in wonder.

"I would have done a color sketch instead, but I didn't bring any of my drawing set except for a couple pencils." Alek said, looking wistfully at the ocean. "The orange would go nice with the blue."

"Why are sunsets orange though?" Seylum was curious. "Is it the same way light is refracted to make the sea and sky look blue?"

 _I'm pretty sure that's not why the sea and sky are blue, but I'm not sure what the reason is. Slaine must have told her that._ "Not quite. Sunsets are more of an orange color because the red and yellow light waves aren't scattered as heavily by the atmosphere as they enter. They pretty much travel together the longest, with the result being a mix of the colors to get an orange shade."

"Earth has so many wonders…" Seylum breathed.

"Eh, I'd say Vers has the greatest wonder of all."

"Really? What's that?" Seylum asked.

"Grandfather's name." Alek said with a slight snicker. "There is no way his birth name was Rayregalia Vers Rayvers."

Seylum had a slight giggle as well. "I know! It just seems so… ridiculous."

The siblings sat there watching the bright horizon for a while until Inko suddenly appeared. "Hey, you two! There's some big news going on!"

"Big news?" Alek asked.

"Mars is calling for an armistice!"

 _Huh. An armistice. Is this grandfather's doing?_

* * *

"Attention foolish people of Earth. Rayregalia Vers Rayvers, noble emperor of the Vers Empire, has issued an armistice declaration to the United Earth declaration."

"Grandfather must be trying to put a stop to the knights' outrageous behavior." Seylum concluded.

"The emperor of Mars?" Inaho asked.

"Who else would we be talking about?" Alek asked. "The one thing I don't understand right now is the actions of the Orbital Knights. They didn't even wait for grandfather to give an order before attacking. Knowing him, he would have investigated the assassination first instead of going straight to war."

"Does that mean that it's almost guaranteed that someone from the Orbital Knights spearheaded the assassination attempt?" Seylum asked.

"Most likely. Either way, we can take it easy for the moment. Once everything gets sorted out, we can probably return home."

Alek didn't notice the somewhat sad look on Inko's face.

* * *

Inko found Alek outside once again, reading a book. "Your grandfather just called for an armistice and you're reading a book?" She asked.

"Well, communications are still jammed, so it's not like I can get a message to them at the moment. Besides, Seylum and I are still watching out for the assassins. Who knows where they might be?"

"Oh, I see. There's been something I've been meaning to ask you." Inko said. "Why is it that you and your sister are so nice to those of us on Earth while the rest of the Martians seem so puffed up and superior?"

Alek smiled before starting to read aloud. "If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that." He closed the book.

"Huh?" Inko asked.

"Shakespeare. The Merchant of Venice. Act 3, Scene 1. One of Shylock's most profound speeches, in my opinion."

"Yeah, but what does that mean?"

"It means that we're all the same, no matter our race, religion, or birthplace. None of that matters because at the core, we are all human." Alek said.

"I never thought about it like that…"

"And quite frankly, most of the Vers Empire doesn't, excluding the royalty and maybe one or two Counts, which I find ironic."

"What caused the change in mindset?" Inko was curious now.

"Second Emperor Gilzeria. When the disparity between classes became more distinct, he directed the discontent towards Earth, causing the hatred we see nowadays."

Inko's face grew concerned. "Do you hate him for it?"

Alek shook his head. "How could I? I barely knew him. He died before I turned two. Asseylum had just been born, Heaven's Fall occurred, and grandfather had to become emperor again in order to keep the empire from falling apart. If anything, I felt sorry for him. He never got to see Asseylum's first steps or her smile. Our mother died soon after she was born, and he never got to atone for all the suffering he caused."

"Do you think he wanted to atone?" Inko asked.

"Honestly? No. That's why I'm the one who has to atone for him."

"Hold on a second. Why do you have to atone for him? None of this was your fault!"

"Would you believe me if I told you that it was around fifty percent my fault?" Alek smiled wryly.

"Huh?" Inko was confused.

"I found his personal journal about two months before I came to this planet. Do you know what he wrote in it? He mentioned how he wanted me to grow up on a beautiful planet, not the dead wasteland that was Vers. He believed that if the Vers Empire conquered Earth, it would be better for our family." Alek placed the book in his bag before looking Inko in the eye. "He caused the death of millions, just because he saw me reach out for a picture of Earth one time when he was holding me. That's why I have to atone for him. Even if I can't repair the damage that he did, I can understand the people whose lives were affected."

"So you came to Earth." Inko summarized.

Alek nodded. "So I came to Earth. Everyone assumed that I did it simply for the sake of learning more about Earth, though I think grandfather may have known the truth from the start. I doubt he would have caved so easily to my request otherwise."

"Still, that's a large burden to take for a… how old were you?"

"A little bit more than nine years old."

"Wait a second. You're our age?" Inko asked.

"Umm, yes?"

"How are you a year ahead of us? You should've been in our grade, shouldn't you?"

"They made me do testing, I placed fifth grade. That's the basic gist of it."

"Still! I've known you for seven years, how did I not know about this until now?" Inko looked utterly mortified by the thought.

Alek stayed silent. _I'm going to avoid answering this question. Inko would probably hit me._ "No clue. Anything else you want to ask? I did promise to answer any question you had."

Inko's expression turned serious. "You mentioned going home earlier when you were talking with Seylum."

Alek sighed. "The burden of being a crown prince. Grandfather will probably recall me home. Once that happens, I'll have to fulfill my end of the deal."

"What deal?"

"The condition for letting me come down to Earth. When I go back to Vers, I will be crowned Emperor."

"Emperor?!" Inko's head was swimming with thoughts. Alek? Ruling over an entire world?

Alek laughed dryly. "Yes, Emperor. It's almost funny, in a way. I, who have not seen my homeworld for almost half of my life, will become its ruler upon my return."

"Will you ever come back to visit?" Inko asked.

The prince shook his head. "Not in the near future. I'd have to establish laws and policies in order to keep the peace. It would take years, not to mention nobles would be trying to marry their daughters off to me in order to gain positions." Alek looked especially depressed at that thought.

"Couldn't you just have your sister be next in line to the throne?" Inko asked.

"I could, but the moment a son or daughter is born to me, that person will immediately become heir to the throne. That's why nobles are so determined to marry their daughters to royalty. It's actually how my mother became Empress Consort."

"Oh." For some reason, Inko was reminded of a time when Alek had fangirls. Thinking about it, he still had some, though she hadn't seen them around.

— _Flashback—_

 _In junior high, the faculty had decided to hold a schoolwide festival, which was run by a few select individuals. Alek was the one in charge of the whole thing. He asked Inaho and Inko to help as well, saying that it would help to have more hands working to set up everything. One of the girls who they had pulled in to help was very chatty about Alek._

" _He's such an amazing guy! I mean, organizing an event as large as this? That's like, genius right there."_

" _I know, he's even going all over the place to find things that he can help people with, all while organizing this event! It's amazing!"_

 _While Inko did agree with their comments, their compliments did irk her. They were talking about HER friend after all._

" _Say, Inko. You've known Alek for a really long time, right? Do you know if he has a girlfriend?"_

 _Inko almost stumbled when she heard that question. "Eh?" She decided to answer with a shrug, even though she knew that the answer to that question was 'no'._

 _While the two chatty girls were carrying boxes with books, one of the books almost fell to the ground. All of a sudden, a hand reached out to catch it._

" _Careful, we don't want to damage these books. Here, hand me your boxes. You've been working hard, so you deserve a break. Thank you for your contribution to the event."_

 _After Alek carried away the boxes, the two girls (who forever remained nameless in Inko's mind as her way of spiting them) started fangirling as if they had discovered the best anime character in existence and wanted to bear its babies._

" _Kyaa! Isn't Alek-sama hot?"_

" _So you're alright as long as he's hot?" Inko asked, before the honorific used occurred to her. "Wait a second, -sama?"_

" _Well, he's already the head of the committee who organized this, and I've heard that his family is super rich!"_

 _Having had enough of the two of them, Inko walked off, only to see Alek waiting for her around the corner._

" _Oh good, you too. I figured that I wasn't the only one whose nerves were getting grated on."_

" _So why did you wait around?" Inko asked._

" _Mainly to see if you could get their schedules." Alek said. "I'm going to plot a path that avoids them for as long as I'm in this school."_

 _Inko smiled. "Well, let's worry about that later. I think Inaho might need a bit of help with some stuff."_

" _What are we waiting for then? Let's go."_

— _Flashback End—_

"Speaking of Seylum, have you seen her?" Alek asked. That brought Inko out of her thoughts.

"Oh, she said she was going to go talk to Captain Magbaredge about something—" Inko was interrupted when Alek made to go into the ship. "Hey, what are you—"

"Keeping my sister from making a mistake that she might not get the chance to regret." Alek said.

"What mistake?"

"Revealing herself. If she does, there's a very good chance that the assassins will get to her first. I need to stop that."

He didn't get very far though, as the alarm suddenly went off. Alek's eyes widened. "I thought the armistice was still going!"

Inko looked scared. "It is, but who would attack under an armistice?"

Alek came to the conclusion that he didn't want to come to. "Stupid honor-driven Orbital Knight! I should've known that he would ignore the armistice!"

"Pardon?"

"Sir Vlad is back for revenge." Alek said. "I'm going out."

* * *

Even though he made it to the hangar, all of the kataphrakts were already in use. He was about to use the Sleipnir, the orange kataphrakt, when someone else got into the only one that was still completely intact.

"Dammit Inaho! This is not the time to be trying to win my sister's affection!"

"That has nothing to do with this. Out of all of us, I'm the most qualified pilot. Not to mention that I already have a plan to defeat the Martian Kataphrakt."

Loathe as he was to admit it, Alek knew Inaho was right. After all, Inaho had done better than everyone else in the kataphrakt simulations, even beating Alek's records. The only thing which he hadn't been able to surpass was Alek's marksmanship. Unfortunately, guns weren't going to do much good against the Argyre, with its ability to deflect bullets through use of its beam sword.

"Nao-kun! What are you doing? Get down from there!" Yuki said, coming up next to Alek.

"I could say the same to you, Yuki-nee. You're injured."

"We're short on pilots!"

"Then it'll be just as good that I go out there. Where are my pajamas? The ones with the patches?"

Alek blinked. _Pajamas? What on earth…_

* * *

When Slaine used the audience chamber, he didn't expect to find himself back on Vers. Granted, he was technically an illusion of sorts, so he wasn't actually back, but that was beyond the point.

 _I need to find the emperor and inform him of his grandchildren's safety. I can stop the war this way!_

* * *

When Seylum ran back to the main room where everyone was, she was shocked to see that, once again, there was an orange kataphrakt in battle. Looking around, she saw that her brother, Inko, and Calm were all in the room as well, which by process of elimination left only one pilot.

"Inaho…" Seylum hoped he would be alright, though she had huge doubts.

Alek seemed to be watching intently. "If his hypothesis is right, he'll win."

Everyone turned to look at Alek. "What do you mean?"

"It's just a guess at the moment, but I'm pretty sure that tactical suit is reactive armor. If I'm right, and the beam swords used by the Martian kataphrakt are plasma, then Inaho should be able to use the explosions to disperse them. However, the problem comes right afterward. Each part of the armor is only good for one use, so he'll have to act fast to strike in the short opening given by the explosion." Alek surmised.

Everything worked out as Alek predicted, with the exception of the part where Inaho would strike quickly. Instead, he grabbed the arms of the Argyre, preventing it from striking.

"Interesting. I wonder what… everyone, you might want to grab hold of something." Alek said, before wrapping his arm around a pole.

"Huh? Alek, what do you— wah!"

Everyone stumbled as the ship suddenly tilted back before righting itself again. A sudden explosion appeared on-screen.

"What happened?!"

"Is Inaho alright?"

Alek seemed to be the only one who stayed calm. "You might want to remember that all the kataphrakts have a bailout system. See?" He pointed at the cockpit that was slowly falling down.

As Inko and the others went to go pick him up, Alek turned to his sister, who had a relieved expression on her face.

"Try to keep our secret for a little bit longer, won't you?"

"Yes. I'll do that."

Once Inaho got back on board, Alek gave him a small smile. "I'd say that earned you full points on your drills."

Inaho blinked in surprise. "You never give full points when you grade our military drills."

"Call it extra credit for taking down a kataphrakt that had you dead to rights."

* * *

"Please, your majesty. End this war so that Prince Aleksander and Princess Asseylum can be rescued without delay."

"Hmm. I shall see to it at once."

"Thank you, your majesty. I shall take my leave now."

After Slaine left, Rayregalia Vers Rayvers lay on the bed for a bit longer before addressing the unseen presence in the room. "It is just as you said, Count Saazbaum."

Internally, the count smirked. Things were going well for him. All it would take was a few eloquent words.

A few minutes later, Rayregalia Vers Rayvers appeared on his throne. "In the name of Rayregalia Vers Rayvers, Emperor of Vers, I hereby renew my declaration of war. Attack the Earth! They must pay for harming my grandchildren, Aleksander Vers Allusia and Asseylum Vers Allusia. Those who would do harm to my own flesh and blood, must burn!"

* * *

 **And just like that, Alek's anonymity is destroyed. Minus the fact that almost no one knows what he looks like except Inko, Inaho, Rayet, Asseylum, and Eddelrittuo. The gist of what Count Saazbaum said was pretty much what he said in canon + a few extra lines about how the Terrans had Alek hostage.**

 **Also, for all you guys who suggested pairings, I was thinking more along the line of finding dear little Mizusaki a date, seeing as she still hasn't landed one after all this time (poor thing). Like I said, random. Try to stray a bit further from protagonists and deuteragonists. Maybe one of the other pilots of the Deucalion could use someone. Hell, even the janitor Ricky could use a girlfriend (jk jk please don't write something for Ricky. This is his only appearance).**

 **Ricky: HEY!**

 **Annnd that's my cue to end the chapter. Until next time!**

 **WX (I changed my pen name from XiaoWeiXiao to WeiXiao).**


	6. To Kill a Prince

**So yeah, divergence will be somewhat significant in the next chapter. So watch for that. Also, I like distinguishing between the moments where Alek is Alek or Aleksander. Same goes for Asseylum and Seylum. This isn't so much their identity as it is how people acknowledge them for who they are, which is why you'll see me alternate between uses.**

 **Also, I've noticed discrepancies between the official Aldnoah Zero timeline and certain elements, such as Lemrina's birth and the death of Gilzeria. The dates don't add up for some reason.**

* * *

Seylum could only hold her hands to her mouth as she watched her grandfather's declaration with horror.

"In the name of Rayregalia Vers Rayvers, Emperor of Vers, I hereby renew my declaration of war. Attack the Earth! They must pay for harming my grandchildren, Aleksander Vers Allusia and Asseylum Vers Allusia. Those who would do harm to my own flesh and blood, must burn! This is divine retribution brought down upon them!"

Everyone was abuzz with discussion as they talked about the declaration.

"Aleksander Vers Allusia?"

"Who's that?"

"I thought the only heir was the princess. Is there another royal out there?"

Seylum looked over at Alek, whose eyes were wide with shock.

 _Did I just get pronounced as dead?_ Alek thought.

* * *

"What is the meaning of this? I was told that Prince Aleksander was safe!" Cruhteo jabbed his cane into the ground.

"It may be possible that the UFE has him as a hostage."

"Impossible. Only a select few even know what the prince looks like. There is no way that they would know how to find him."

"Begging your pardon, milord, but there is another matter to be addressed. The audience chamber was used a second time without your approval."

"What?" Cruhteo turned to the operator who had spoken. "Who was the perpetrator?"

He answered his own question when he thought about it. "Slaine Troyard, you will not go unpunished for this act!"

He would go unpunished.

* * *

"A formal declaration of war, huh? Just when we heard that there was going to be a cease-fire as well." Inko said.

"There's one thing I don't get though. Who's Aleksander Vers Asseylum?" Calm asked.

"Probably another member of the royal family. If I were to guess, he was probably on Earth for a while at the same time as Asseylum. Probably a sibling or a cousin." Alek replied, careful not to give anything away.

"Either way, it's more fan to the flames of a war that never ended." Marito said. "We pretended that the war wasn't there. That old man up there told the truth. The death of the princess opened up our eyes."

"That's not true! I- Princess Asseylum has no desire for war. She tried to act as a bridge of friendship between Earth and Vers." Seylum almost gave herself away.

"And she ended up being the spark that set it off." Marito said, which made Seylum flinch. "They've always dreamed of this. Some righteous cause that would allow them to pull out all the stops."

It gave everyone a moment to brood over the possibility that the Martians sacrificed their princess.

"Your attention, please!" Yuki called from the hallway. "Everyone is to assemble in the briefing room."

"What's going on, Yuki-nee?" Inaho asked.

"Please address me as Warrant Officer Kaizuka. After all, we're officially at war with them now."

* * *

"As of right now, you are drafted into service as soldiers. That means you are to adhere to military rules and regulations, and are now obligated to carry out whatever duties you are ordered to perform. I look forward to seeing you put all you have learned to good use. Go to battle with courage in your hearts, and come into your own as soldiers who will safeguard the peace and order of Earth."

 _Some speech, that one. It's pretty much condemning us to die._ Alek thought. He looked over at his sister. _I should avoid letting her fight. I can probably pull it off if I use the 'my sister has a weak body' card._

A few minutes later, everyone was going over to the desks to figure out what they would be best for.

"You see, my sister has a really weak body, so she hasn't been through the training that other students have been through. It's even kept her from school, which is why she hasn't received any military training."

"I see. How about you?" The person at the desk asked.

 _Wow. That actually worked._ "Kataphrakt instructor for that bunch of kids over there." Alek pointed at Inaho, Inko and Calm. "Until recently, I had the best records in terms of kataphrakt combat."

"Hmm. I see." The lady said, sifting through the datapad. "You seem to do especially well in marksmanship and close-range combat. You'll be assigned to Mustang Platoon. Here's your uniform. Good luck to you in future battles."

Once they were in the hallway, Seylum pulled at her brother's arm. "Are you sure about this, Alek? What if you die?"

"I won't. If anything, I'm worried about the others. Inaho and Inko may be the best I've seen, but the others don't seem to be as good."

"You sure?" Seylum asked.

"Positive."

"I'm going to go out to watch the horizon for now. You'll find me later, right?"

Alek nodded. "It's beautiful, isn't it? That's what I first thought when I came here."

After Seylum left, Alek made his way to the kataphrakt hangar, where he found Calm complaining. "Why am I a maintenance worker instead of a pilot?"

Alek pulled out his personal datapad where he kept everyone's scores from kataphrakt training. He got down to Calm's score, where there was a fat D- in piloting. "Is this sufficient reason for you not to be a pilot?" He asked Calm.

"Hey!"

"He's right. You did flunk piloting." Inko pointed out. "Besides, mechanics are just as crucial to the war effort. Without them, the kats won't work!"

"Still, how am I supposed to waste those guys if I'm stuck in the hangar?" He asked. "And why did you give me such a low score on piloting, Alek?"

"Because everything about your piloting screamed inefficiency and lack of skill."

Calm sulked. "Way to make me feel better about myself."

"No need to be so gung-ho about everything. These past fifteen years, no one has seen any real action. Those who did are all dead. On the Martian side as well. Meaning that friend and foe alike are all virgins, same as you." Marito said, walking in.

Alek, Inko, and Calm all took on a somewhat awkward expression. _Couldn't you have worded that a bit better?_

"Not all of us." Inaho said.

"Eh? Inaho, are you saying that you—" Calm began.

 _See, this is where wording is extremely important._

"You lived through it, Lieutenant Marito. Didn't you?"

"Oh. You mean that." Calm said, finally understanding.

 _And just like that, balance is restored to the universe of wording._ Alek breathed a sigh of relief.

"The scorebook says otherwise. The Tanegashima Report that I wrote got buried."

"Tanegashima Report?" Inko inquired.

"It's where the fragments first fell when the moon was destroyed during Heaven's Fall." Inaho answered.

 _If I'm not mistaken, one of the Orbital Knights died there as well, though I can't remember who._ Alek thought to himself.

"That's right. But something came down there before the moon fragments did. Martians." Marito said.

Everyone took a slight gasp as he continued. "We went up against those monster Martian kataphrakts in obsolete tanks. We were wiped out. Right after, the Hyper Gate went out of the control and Heaven's Fall was set off by the spacetime quake and the Martian bastards wiped out the entire battlefield. There's no physical evidence. My report was made out to be the ramblings of a madman written in terror."

"But it was the truth, right? Mars' kataphrakts are way beyond what Earth's technology can produce."

"Either way, the results will be the same. Because Earth doesn't have Aldnoah drives."

 _Aldnoah drives, huh? We might have been able to salvage one from the Nilokeras, though I'm not sure about the Argyre. The explosion pretty much destroyed it. Though come to think of it, we would have been caught in the meteor bombardment if we had stayed, so probably not._

* * *

Slaine managed to make it into the sky carrier in time before anyone could stop him. _Good. I can go investigate the orange kataphrakt for myself. If my hypothesis is right, then Prince Aleksander and Princess Asseylum will be on the same ship that the orange kataphrakt was on._

As he flew in the direction that he guessed the Terran vehicle was following, he remembered when he first met Prince Aleksander.

— _Flashback—_

 _After Asseylum had cleared his lungs of liquid, Slaine rested there for a moment before he heard a set of footsteps go running down the hallway, stopping at the place he was._

" _Asseylum, what are you doing out of bed? And who is this?" A young boy's voice asked._

 _His savior turned to the voice. "Aleksander! I saw this boy coughing up liquid, so I helped him get it out. I think he crashed through the roof."_

" _Ah. So that must be where those sounds came from." The boy said, finally appearing in the light._

 _He had messy hair, probably from just waking up, and his eyes were a striking purple. Slaine could only stare as he tried to recover his strength._

" _Well, let's get him to the medical ward." The boy said, unstrapping Slaine and carrying him over his shoulder. A few minutes later, someone else appeared._

" _Your highness! Who is this?" The guard asked._

" _This boy was the cause for the alarm. He came in a ship that crashed through part of the roof. Help me get him to the medical ward, would you?"_

" _Of course, sir." The guard took the boy's burden._

 _A few hours later, Slaine was in a bed, having his condition checked when he heard a couple voices outside the room._

" _How come I can't go see him?"_

" _Because you were out of bed when you shouldn't have been."_

" _But if I wasn't, he would have died! Besides, you're only a year older than me!"_

" _Oh, fine. But just for a few minutes!"_

 _The siblings entered the room, with the girl going up to him._

" _Hi! What's your name? What were you doing in that ship? Are you from around here?"_

" _Alright, that's enough questions. Let him get some air." Her brother pulled her back a bit before turning to talk to Slaine (Asseylum puffed her cheeks in irritation from where she was). "Are you feeling better?"_

 _Slaine nodded, prompting the boy to continue. "I'm Aleksander. This is my sister, Asseylum. What's your name?"_

" _S-Slaine Troyard." He managed to get out._

 _Aleksander frowned. "The doctors are treating you well, right?"_

" _Y-yes. It's just… I haven't used my voice in a while."_

" _Oh. That's alright. Get some rest. We can talk later. Hopefully, we can be friends as well. How does that sound?" Alek asked._

 _Slaine finally smiled. "I think I would like to be friends."_

" _Great! It's settled. Come on Asseylum, let's give him a bit of rest." He said, grabbing his sister by the shoulders and leading her out._

 _It was only later that Slaine learned that he had been in the presence of royalty._

— _Flashback End—_

"Princess Asseylum, Prince Aleksander. You saved my life that day. Allow me to repay you in kind."

With that, Slaine gunned the ignition on the sky carrier and flew off into the distance.

* * *

"Did you really need to show Calm his scores on piloting?" Inko asked Alek.

"Alright, maybe not. But really, what was he expecting? That people who earned D's on their piloting would be allowed to pilot in battle when other, better pilots could be of use?" Alek asked.

"You do realize that you grade piloting way harder than anyone else in existence, right?"

"You and Inaho got near-perfect scores on that test. I definitely didn't grade that hard. So what platoon are you assigned to?"

"Inaho and I are both in Mustang Platoon."

"Neat. I'm in Mustang Platoon that one as well. Coordination should be pretty easy between us then."

"I'll make sure not to miss any points then, Instructor Audet." Inko gave Alek a small smile.

Alek's heart bumped a bit, though he ignored it. "Ha ha, very funny. That aside though, do you know why the sky and sea are blue?"

Inko did not expect that. "Huh? No. Where is this coming from?"

"My sister asked a question earlier about why sunsets were red and wondered if they had anything to do with the fact that there was so much air that light is refracted to give off a blue color. I'm pretty sure that's the wrong explanation, but I don't remember the actual explanation, so I can't correct her."

"How did she hear about that explanation?" Inko asked.

"Probably Slaine." Alek said.

"Huh? Who's that?"

"A Terran who crash-landed on Vers years ago. His father did a lot of research on Aldnoah drives for years, but he died about four years ago."

"Oh, I see. What is Aldnoah, anyway?" Inko asked. "We keep hearing about it, but no one seems to actually know what it is."

Alek thought about it for a moment. "For a lack of better words, Aldnoah is a supertechnology. When Rayregalia Vers Rayvers first discovered it, Aldnoah burned its activation factor into his genes. By having the Orbital Knights swear fealty to them, he handed them the activation factor. Aldnoah has a ridiculous number of practical uses, but the main idea is that it's an energy source. A very powerful energy source. There are a couple of ways to transfer the activation factor, but the main one I know of is willing transfusion of bodily fluid, whether it be saliva or blood."

Having heard the word 'saliva', Inko had a very disturbing image pass through her head. "Wait, so he kissed them mouth to mouth?"

"… I don't want to think about it." Alek shuddered. The idea of his grandfather kissing a whole bunch of nobles was just a little bit too much for him to handle.

"Yeah, let's not think about it." Inko agreed. "Is seeing a blue sky really that fascinating to Martians?"

"You have no idea. I must have spent hundreds of hours when I first came here just looking at the sky. Mars doesn't have any of that. All we have there is the blackness of space. At one point, I wanted to see if we could rename Earth to Marble Blue, because of how it looked from space. Seylum's probably in the same state that I was when I first came here."

They finally reached the outside, when Alek noticed Inaho and Seylum by each other, talking. As the two of them walked closer, they could hear them talking about Aldnoah.

"Those who settled the desolate lands of Mars have set their eyes on Earth. The cradle of humanity, a land blessed in abundance with water and air such that they refract light to make the sea and sky appear blue."

"Ah—"

"That isn't true." Inaho said.

"Huh?"

"The blue sky isn't caused by diffraction, but through the effects of Rayleigh scattering."

"Oh, so that's the cause." Alek mused.

"Eh? But Slaine said—"

"The blue sky is caused by Rayleigh scattering while the clouds are white through Mie scattering. Your friend was wrong."

"Oh, that's embarrassing for her." Alek muttered.

"Huh? Why?" Inko asked.

"Seylum _hates_ being wrong. Even if she was poorly informed, she utterly hates the idea of being wrong."

Sure enough, Seylum was blushing.

"Well, that's enough of that for now. Come on down, you guys must be hungry." Alek said, startling his sister.

"Alek! Why didn't you tell me that I was wrong about why the sky was blue?" Seylum puffed her cheeks at her brother.

Alek scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Well, I didn't actually know why the sky was blue, so I decided not to say. Besides, I told you that Slaine wasn't the best source of information about Earth."

"But he's never been wrong about the other stuff before!"

"Actually…"

"Please tell me you're joking."

"I wish."

"What else did he miss?" Seylum demanded.

"You know that time you were talking about how the Earth's seasons were affected by its distance from the sun? It's not."

"What? But it makes sense?"

"It really doesn't. The sunlight has already travelled 93 million miles to hit the surface of the Earth. A couple miles more doesn't make a difference. What does cause the difference is the angle at which the light hits the ground." Alek said.

Seylum seemed to be getting more embarrassed by the second. "Umm, can I ask you more about this?"

Alek shook his head. "I just studied for tests, so I don't actually know that much, but there is someone you can ask for help."

"Really? Who?" Seylum asked, eyes glittering with desire for knowledge.

"Inaho, would you care to tutor my sister about this stuff?" Alek asked. _I may regret this later, but he's a good source of information._

"Eh?"

Inaho shrugged. "I don't mind."

"Great. It's settled. Now come on down, you two. Dinner's about now."

* * *

Marito watched the ship approach Tanegashima from the bow of the Wadatsumi. It seemed almost surreal that he was back here after years of avoiding the place.

He could feel it, the flashes of when he was first deployed here. The giant Martian kataphrakt that appeared, as well as the sight of the tanks that were sent flying through the air like rag dolls. Pulling the trigger on his best friend to end his suffering. Coming back was all the more painful, mainly because he was the only that survived that slaughter.

He sighed. "I suppose I'll have to just deal with it."

After all, it wasn't like he would ever come back again after today, right?

* * *

"So Alek, I've been wondering." Inko said.

"Hm?"

"Do you know anything about what happened at Tanegashima from the other side?"

Alek shrugged. "A couple of Orbital Knights were sent there just before Heaven's Fall occurred. One of them died, though I don't know who. I did manage to learn a bit about it from a survivor."

"Really? Who?"

"Count Saazbaum. He and Count Cruhteo, the Orbital Knight who landed in Tokyo, are the closest to the royal family."

"Really? What were they like?" Inko was curious.

"Saazbaum was always polite to everyone, though I think he may have lost someone close during Heaven's Fall, so he's not very open. Cruhteo on the other hand has raised me almost like his own son, despite the fact that he has a biological son. I'm grateful to him in particular. He's also the most loyal person I know. If I were to ask, he would probably turn on the other Orbital Knights in an instant."

"Why don't you?" Inko asked, mind rushing through the possibilities.

"Because I actually do think of him as a father. And it would be unfair of me to not repay him for all the time he has spent raising me up to be the man that I am. Outside of my sister, there was only one other person who contacted me almost daily, and that was Cruhteo. That's why I can't. Besides, I'll need his support when I take the throne."

 _Take the throne, huh?_ Inko felt a little sad."I'll miss you, you know. When you go home."

Alek looked at her, a little bit surprised. "It's not like I'll be gone forever. I can always have video chats, maybe even visit you guys."

"Really? Are you sure about that?" Inko asked.

Alek sighed. "No. No, I'm not. I'd probably be forced to stay on Vers for the rest of my life, always making sure that everything was alright and ran in order. I doubt I would have any time for other things."

Inko didn't know why, but she fell into an even deeper melancholy at those words. "So we'll never see each other again."

Alek was surprised to see this from Inko. His gut told him to ask her to come with him, while his brain told him otherwise.

 _I guess I could always ask her… but should I?_ "Inko… would you…?"

"Yeah?"

"No, nothing." Alek cut himself off. _It would be unfair of me to force something like that on her. Being a ruler is no simple task._

Before they could continue any further, a sudden shock rocked the ship, and Alek and Inko stumbled. Inaho, who had just turned the corner, almost fell as well.

"What was that?" Alek looked around.

"I believe we have just been attacked." Inaho said.

"You don't say." Alek replied sarcastically.

The intercoms suddenly blared out, with Captain Magbaredge's voice calling out to everyone. "All hands, brace for impact!"

The three members of Mustang Platoon grabbed hold of the side of the hall as they suddenly felt another impact. They looked at each other before running over to the kataphrakt hangar.

* * *

"My, my. So this is the ship that is rumored to be Prince Aleksander's location. Such a shame, really. Who knew that he would die in such a remote location?"

While Countess Femieanne had originally planned to just stay in her landing castle, Count Saazbaum had contacted her, telling her that she should expect potential company. She had two orders. The first was to take claim of Tanegashima. The second was much more important: The death of Prince Aleksander.

"It's disappointing, really. I always thought he would be a good match for my daughter. Well, you can't have everything."

* * *

"Mustang Leader, Yuki Kaizuka, launching." Yuki's voice echoed over the coms.

"Mustang 11, Inko Amifumi, launching."

"Mustang 22, Inaho Kaizuka, launching."

"Mustang 33, Alek Audet, launching." Alek finished for them.

Mustang Platoon was deployed.

"Mustang Platoon, you'll be covering the stern of the Wadatsumi. Friesian Platoon will cover the bow. Intercept all airborne weapons."

"Understood." Yuki acknowledged orders.

As they finally got up to the deck, Alek took a look at the kataphrakt that they were going to go up against. He let out a long groan of frustration. "It just HAD to be her. Why did it have to be her?"

"Who?" Everyone in Mustang Platoon tuned in to Alek's statement.

"Countess Femieanne of the Orbital Knights. Dislikes me, but always insisted that I should marry her daughter. Or was it her cousin? I don't remember. Either way, she dislikes trespassers. And it appears that she's claimed this area as her territory."

Alek tapped into the military channel. "All troops, be advised. The enemy kataphrakt appears to have six arms that it uses as missiles. Be aware of your surroundings at all times and do not tunnel on a single arm."

"Alright, how do you know all that information? And what was that about the marriage part?"

"It's a very long story, Yuki. Incoming!"

It was only a few moments later that all of Friesian Platoon was wiped out. Alek realized a very depressing truth. The reason Yuki and the rest of Mustang Platoon were performing better than everyone else was because they were still in school doing military drills when the war started, while most others were rusty from ages of not practicing.

As he dodged another fist, he saw Inko's kataphrakt get hit in the side. Fortunately, she managed to keep it from significantly damaging her kataphrakt, but she and Inaho were down for the next few seconds.

He saw another fist flying at them, so he did what he did best: Shooting.

 _It may be durable to the point that we can't destroy it, but we can still misdirect its path by hitting it at the tip._

Alek fired, timing it perfectly so that the fist would be redirected just enough so that Inko and Inaho were avoided. Unfortunately, he was barely able to avoid the fist that hit him, losing the left arm of his kataphrakt.

"Alek! Are you alright?" Yuki asked.

"Just lost an arm. I'm fine. Won't be able to aim as steadily, though."

As he said that, the fists suddenly shot into the air and spread out. Alek blinked. "Huh?"

"We should be ready. The fists are going to come in from all sides. We should be able to offset them like you did if we intercept them from a good distance."

"I can't aim properly with only one arm." Alek said.

"Then I'll aim. Yuki-nee did say that I was to be the marksman."

"Why did you even take the Sleipnir?"

"The Areion was getting tuned." Inaho replied.

"Right, let's just get to it. Inko and I will be your eyes. You've got one coming from the starboard side, aiming for the bridge. Get that one first."

"Next closest one's going to be sixty degrees to your right." Inko said.

"There's one heading down in a nosedive, but that one's the farthest away. Focus on the one on the other side first and then we'll get that one last."

Inaho sniped the fists in quick succession before aiming at the last one. Alek joined in, trying to aim as accurately as he could. Unfortunately, both of them ran out of ammo.

"No…" Alek breathed.

"We're not going to make it."

Everyone braced themselves for the inevitable impact. Alek heard an explosion, but didn't feel any rush of flames, which confused him. When he looked up, he was surprised to see a sky carrier in the distance.

 _What's a sky carrier doing here? And why did it shoot that fist out of the sky? Who would even willingly shoot to save Terrans—_

Alek's face broke into a grin as he realized who was in the sky carrier. _There is literally no one else it could be._

"You know, it wouldn't have hurt for you to get here earlier, Slaine."

* * *

 **This went longer than I originally planned, so I decided to cut down a bit on the action this time around.**

 **Either way, Ch. 7/8 is where we start seeing a significant divergence. No, Slaine will not join the Deucalion. BUT he won't be tortured either, so that's a plus.**

 **So yeah, until next time**

 **WX**


	7. Sending a Message

**I should probably get back to working on my other fanfics, but for the moment, Aldnoah Zero has my attention.**

 **Action scene will not be as big this time around. Will mostly focus on right after action scene.**

* * *

Slaine was relieved, to say the least. He had made it in time. While he wasn't completely sure as to whether or not the ship contained Prince Aleksander and Princess Asseylum, he knew that he couldn't risk letting it get destroyed.

 _Let's see. Orange kataphrakt, check. Going in this general direction? Check. This is my best chance to find the prince and princess._

Unfortunately, Slaine was in no position to do a search, as he suddenly found himself being pursued by the guided missiles that were the fists of the Hellas, Countess Femieanne's personal kataphrakt.

* * *

"What is Slaine up to? He can't manage that by himself." Alek muttered under his breath. He turned to Inaho, passing him the few clips of HE rounds that he still had. "Here. You can use it better than me."

"Thanks. Is there anything you can tell us about that bat up there?"

 _How in the world does that look like a bat?_ "That's a sky carrier, used mainly to transport kataphrakts around. It can utilize the unique qualities of the kataphrakt that it carries."

Alek cut himself off as he saw the sky carrier going in a nosedive, with a hand trying to grab him. Inaho shot it out of the air.

A moment later, one of the other fists carried the damaged fist out of the water. Alek blinked in surprise. _So there is a way to damage it._

His thoughts were interrupted by the sight of two fists flying away. "Inaho! The back of the Wadatsumi! That's its next target."

"Control, open the well dock." Inaho jumped down to the bottom of the ship.

"Let's worry about him later. For the moment, keep an eye out for the other fists!" Alek said.

As they formed a circle to watch for it, Inko had to wonder. "Is there infighting among them?"

"I would like to say maybe, but I know that's not it." Alek said.

"What is it then, Alek?" She asked.

Alek let himself feel smug for a bit. "Loyalty to the crown."

The moment of smugness didn't last very long, as a fist nearly hit Inko and Alek, just passing by them by a couple meters before colliding with the cliff and revealing a cave.

"A cave?"

"Looks like it."

Before the two of them could ponder the presence of the cave any further, they saw Inaho running along the strip of land.

"Inaho?" Inko was, for a lack of better words, shocked. So was Alek.

"Mustang 22, Mustang 33, we're going too!" Yuki ordered.

"Eh?" The two of them replied before gliding off the Wadatsumi as well. Alek's kataphrakt may have lost its left arm, but Alek adjusted his flight path to compensate.

Soon, they caught up to Inaho.

"Nao-kun! What are you thinking? Don't run off like that!"

"I could say the same to you, Yuki-nee. Who's defending the ship?"

"Now listen here, young man…"

A few seconds later, after the Wadatsumi had entered the cave, the one remaining operational gun on the ship fired at the cave entrance, bringing it down.

"Everyone…" Inko sounded worried.

"Before we worry about them, let's worry about ourselves. We're the lure, after all. That aside, is my sister alright, Inaho?"

"Yes, I saw her earlier."

"You know, Alek, it's not a great idea to be a hypocrite." Yuki said.

"Oh, shut up!"

"Right then, let's deal with that Ashura over there."

"Just call it the Hellas. That's its name."

* * *

"Get everyone evacuated! Noncombatants first and then the wounded. No one gets left behind!"

As the ship evacuation went on, Seylum tried not to breathe in the dust. However, there was a far more pressing concern for her.

"Matsuribi-senpai! Where's Mustang Platoon? Inko and the others aren't on deck!" Nina was extremely worried.

 _Mustang Platoon… that's the kataphrakt squadron that Aleksander's on! Did they not go in with us?_

"They're still fighting outside. They're using themselves as decoys to give us time to escape."

"No way!"

Seylum didn't even care about the dust after that. She just pressed her hands together and prayed that they would stay safe. _Alek, Inaho, Inko, Yuki. Please stay safe. Please, don't die!_

* * *

 _I really hope one of us comes up with a plan soon. If not, we're going to run out of ammo and it is going to suck._ Alek thought to himself as he began adjusting his weapons. Reloading with only one hand was going to be pain. Thankfully enough, Alek had spent more than a year perfecting his custom single-hand reloading technique, which had been dubbed the 'Audet Loop'. Because the kataphrakt's arms were technically able to rotate 360 degrees, Alek had worked on a technique that utilized setting up the ammo clips so that the rotation of the arm would instantly place a new clip inside the gun.

"Incoming at 4 o'clock!" Yuki said.

Inko began shooting at it, though Alek decided not to do anything. He knew Slaine would shoot it out of sky. All they had to do was provide cover for him.

Yuki shot another fist out of the sky as it tried to close in on Slaine. "What the hell is going on here?"

"Yuki-nee, let's attack the enemy kataphrakt directly."

"Eh? What are you saying? We're no match for that thing!

"I'm not so sure. It might be all bark and no bite. Alek, do you know anything about that kataphrakt?"

Alek shook his head. "It's one of the kataphrakts that I only got to see, never to learn about. Countess Femieanne kept on insisting that I marry her daughter/cousin if I wanted to learn about it."

"Alright, so we're taking help from a Martian and Alek turns out to actually be a Martian. Could this be any stranger?"

"Alek, I need to borrow your handgun."

"Sure. Also, do me a favor and check something out about that pilot."

* * *

The three shots fired into the air registered on the HUD of Slaine's sky carrier, prompting him to lower himself down so that the orange kataphrakt could board. As soon as it did, a fuzzy screen appeared on his HUD.

During that time, the only thing the rest of Mustang Platoon could do was stare.

"Yuki, I think you jinxed it." Alek said. _I know I was hoping for a plan soon, but this wasn't quite what I had in mind._

"Hey! You were the one who told him that sky carriers were meant to carry kataphrakts!"

"Fair enough."

Once the communication channel was established, Inaho began speaking. "Are you Slaine Troyard?"

Slaine almost freaked out. "How do you know that?"

"I'm friends with Alek."

"Alek? You mean Prince Aleksander? He's here?"

"Alek said he would tell you himself once we finished with this. I'll be quick. What are you armed with?"

"About 20 howitzers. You?"

"Fifteen HE rounds before I'm out of ammo."

Slaine presented the problem immediately. "The Hellas' fists increase their hardiness by becoming a single giant molecule. No bullet can destroy them."

"No. One of them was destroyed. Their molecular structure probably reverts when they open their fingers. Patch me into the signal from your stabilizers."

"We use a different standard."

"It's alright. I'll convert it."

* * *

"Well, they're working together pretty well." Alek commented. "What now, Mustang Leader?"

"We're going up. Nao-kun's crazy stunts tend to be the right idea, after all." Yuki said.

Alek sighed. "Is it sad that I find that to be true?"

"Not really." Inko said.

"Mustang Platoon, prepare to intercept the last two fists. They'll be coming after the sky carrier. Shoot it once it flies by!"

"Roger!"

The three of them took down the last two fists in quick succession. It was then that Alek realized: They screwed up.

"Oh, that's not good."

"What isn't good?" Inko asked.

"Would you believe me if I told you that Countess Femieanne has extreme sentimental attachment to her kataphrakt's fists?" Alek asked.

"Umm, no?"

"Too bad. She does. She's going to be in a rage mode after this."

Inko, Yuki, and Alek could only watch as the Hellas flew into the sky after the sky carrier. Alek was extremely worried. He didn't think they could evade. Somehow, they managed to avoid it once. The second time though, he knew their luck wouldn't last.

The moment a missile struck the Hellas, Alek changed his tune. _Alright, maybe they have more luck than I thought._

Suffice to say, after witnessing the flying battleship that appeared, Alek was impressed. _So that's why the Tanegashima Report was buried._

A few moments later, the Hellas was destroyed. Alek contacted Inaho. "Patch me through. Tell Slaine to land right next to my kataphrakt."

He then contacted Captain Magbaredge. "Send me Princess Asseylum. I need her to help me deliver a message. I'll give you a full explanation later, basic gist is that it might be what we need to end the war."

* * *

Once Slaine landed, he was surprised to see a pilot with brown hair hopping out of the kataphrakt that had only one arm. A second later, the brown hair disappeared, being replaced by very familiar blonde hair.

"Prince Aleksander! It's good to see you." He said, taking a bow.

"Really, Slaine?" Aleksander asked.

"Your highness?"

"What have I told you about formalities and decorum?"

Color rushed to Slaine's face as he remembered what Aleksander had told him ages ago when they first became friends. "Friends are not required to address each other formally. Even if the respective positions of said friends are as different as a beggar and a god."

"I don't care if you had a different policy with my sister, you will address me like the friend I am. That is an order."

Slaine sighed. "Yes… Aleksander."

"That aside, I need your help."

Slaine's eyes lit up. "I'll do it! If you need me to stay with you on the battleship or take you home, I'll—"

"No."

His face fell a bit. "Huh?"

"I need you to get a message to Count Cruhteo." Aleksander frowned. "You are here on his orders, right?"

Slaine smiled sheepishly. "Not quite… I kind of broke some rules and escaped on a sky carrier."

Aleksander only stared for a few seconds before lightly whacking Slaine on the head with his fist. "I swear, you have this habit of being in the right place at the right time for the wrong reasons."

"Slaine?" A female voice asked.

Slaine turned around to see the royal whom he had pledged to protect for the rest of his life. "Princess Asseylum! You're alright."

Asseylum smiled. "It's good to see you as well, Slaine."

She turned to her brother. "So what did you need me here for, Alek?"

"Well, I need Slaine to give Cruhteo a message, as well as proof that we're alive. Preferable in the form of a video message." He pulled out his datapad, pressed a few buttons on it, and gave it to Slaine. "Press the record button."

After Slaine pressed the button to start the video, Alek began speaking. "Count Cruhteo, both Asseylum and I are alive and well. Rest assure of that. For the moment though, we will not be returning to the Landing Castle. There is too much risk involved with that. However, we will be safe on the UFE battleship. What I need you to do is pull your Landing Castle back into orbit and prepare it to land at a safe spot once Asseylum and I reach the UFE headquarters in Russia. I'm counting on you."

Slaine pressed the button again to finish the recording. "So what now?"

"Take the datapad back to Count Cruhteo and play the message for him. Here's an extra charger if you need it. Also, just in case he really wants to punish you when you get back, show him this." Aleksander gave Slaine a signet ring that he kept in his pocket. "It originally belonged to Cruhteo's family. There's only one in existence, and he gave it to me a while back. I think it's time that the ring returned to its proper owner."

There was only one concern that Slaine had. "What if Count Cruhteo is one of the assassin's?"

"He's not." Alek replied.

"How can you be so sure?"

This time, it was Asseylum who replied. "Slaine, do you know which family is the most loyal to the royal family?"

Clearly, Slaine knew where this was going. "My apologies."

"It's alright, Slaine. Well, we should get going. We'll meet again soon, alright?"

Slaine smiled. "Yes, we will. I will see the two of you later."

As he left, Alek frowned. "That reminds me. How in the world did Slaine know of the Hellas' specifications? Countess Femieanne didn't even tell me."

"Probably because she wanted you to marry her daughter first." Asseylum joked.

"Oh give it a rest."

Inko was waiting for them in the boat. "Ready to go back?"

Alek's heart skipped a slight beat once again. "Yeah. Let's go."

* * *

 **BOOM! TWO CHAPTERS IN LESS THAN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS!**

 **So yeah, this was pretty much a follow-up on the last chapter.**

 **Comments? Concerns? Compliments? Complaints? Tomatoes you want to throw at me (I guess that's complaints)? Leave it in the review!**

 **Until next time,**

 **WX**


	8. Facing Reality

**So yeah, fun stuff this chapter. Kinda. Also, I need to cut back on my writing pace. I'm starting to slip a bit in studying.**

* * *

"Count Cruhteo, there's a sky carrier coming towards us."

"What?" Cruhteo turned to the operator. "Who is the pilot?"

"It's Slaine Troyard, milord. He's requesting a land."

"Establish a communication channel with him. I wish to understand his intentions."

About twenty seconds later, Slaine's face appeared onscreen. "Count Cruhteo. I need to land."

"And why should I let you? You defied orders, used the audience chamber without permission, and made off in the sky carrier. Why did you come back?"

"This." Slaine showed him a ring.

Cruhteo recognized it right away. "Where did you get that ring from? There is only one in existence."

"I have a message from Prince Aleksander. He told me to give you this video message."

The count didn't even hesitate before turning to the operator. "Give him permission to land. I will validate this for myself."

* * *

"A flying battleship." Inko looked around in wonder at the bridge of the Deucalion. "Hey, Nina! What makes the ship fly?"

"Umm, that Martian thing. Al- Ald-"

"Aldnoah?" Inko asked, remembering Alek's explanation. _So does that mean his sister activated it?_

"Yeah, that!"

"Are the helm controls like a normal ship? Can you dock this thing?" Calm

"The FCS has been adjusted so it feels the same when I steer. More importantly, should you be away from your post, Calm?" Nina asked.

"What's the big deal if I want to look around for a bit? Besides, there's no bigwigs around." Calm then noticed the significant lack of presence of a couple individuals. "Huh? Where's Inaho and Alek?"

"In the bigwig's office. With the Martians." Matsuribi replied.

"Martians…" Inko thought about it for a bit. _It must be Alek and Seylum.. It's not like they could have activated the Aldnoah drive without anyone finding out._

"Yeah, thanks to her, this ship's Aldnoah drive is working." Nina said.

Calm clearly didn't get the message. "WHAT?"

* * *

"The Orbital Knights plotted your assassination AND there's another member of Martian royalty on this planet? I find that hard to believe." Magbaredge said.

Aleksander, Asseylum, Eddelrittuo, Inaho and Rayet were all reporting to Captain Magbaredge and XO Mizusaki regarding their presence on the Deucalion. Alek had finished explaining everything to them.

 _Inko should probably be here as well, but I guess I can tell her what went on later._

Aleksander had decided that he had spent long enough with the brown hair. And since he didn't need to disguise himself anymore, he went back to his blonde hair.

"Up until yesterday, only the Orbital Knights knew of my existence, so it's not that surprising."

"Captain, if we disclosed this information, maybe the Knights would stop attacking." Mizusaki suggested.

"Our communication satellites and telecom bases have been wiped out, and long-range transmissions are impossible thanks to their jamming signal. Even if we could get out a message, there's no guarantee that it would get into the right hands." Magbaredge pointed out.

"Do you think that it would make us the target of the Mars Knights who plotted the assassination?"

"There's an absolute guarantee of that." Aleksander nodded. "Knowing the Orbital Knights though, it's a fair assumption that the original assassins are all dead."

"What makes you say that?"

"Elimination of blackmail. It's rather common among the Orbital Knights who have something that they want to hide. They probably tricked the assassins into thinking that they would get rewards before killing them off."

Next to him, Rayet stiffened, though it went unnoticed.

"Hm. Very well. Until we arrive, we will see to your safety, your highnesses."

Asseylum smiled. "Thank you."

Alek pinched his nose. "Please, just call me Alek Audet. Being referred to as royalty feels weird after so long being a regular person."

"I actually like 'Alek' as well." Asseylum said. "It shortens your name without removing the ring to it."

Captain Magbaredge smiled. "I should have figured as much."

She turned to Inaho. "Now, Kaizuka Junior."

"Inaho Kaizuka, ma'am." Inaho corrected her.

"And you…"

"Rayet Areash."

Magbaredge frowned. "You two were aware of this, yet you neglected to tell me of it. I can understand why Audet didn't tell me, but the two of you are a different story."

"I'm not a soldier. I don't have to report to you." Rayet pointed out.

"And you, Kaizuka Junior?"

"I didn't neglect to tell you. I deliberately didn't."

Alek pinched the bridge of his nose. _Technicalities, but that is not helping your case, Inaho._

"Watch what you say. You're putting yourself on very thin ice." Mizusaki looked rather peeved at Inaho's wording.

"We asked him not to." Asseylum said.

"Someone in league with the assassins might be on board, even if the original assassins are all dead." Eddelrittuo said.

"We can't trust you Martians, either." Rayet said. "A nation latched onto an archaic feudal system that relies on the superscience of an ancient civilization called Aldnoah. Commoners who are obsessed with proving themselves in battle to win social standing."

Alek was surprised to see tears falling down Rayet's face. "And the nobility who casually betray them and grind them into the dirt… how can you possibly trust people like that? I don't trust them. All Martians are the enemy."

"Does that include yourself?" Alek asked, suspecting Rayet's past.

Rayet stiffened before running out of the room.

"I thought so." Alek said.

"Thought what?"

"She was born on Vers as well. Quite possibly related to the original group of assassins."

It made sense on many levels. For one thing, it explained why the Nilokeras was so gung-ho about going after them. It also explained the meteor bombardment that occurred later on, as well as her opinions.

"We should detain her then." Mizusaki said.

"No." Everyone was startled to see Magbaredge give the order. "Leave her be."

"Why?" Alek was curious.

"Her mind is probably still in a state where she's having a hard time accepting the death of her family. It would be best to leave it be until she stops mourning. After all, I too, lost my brother to Martians."

* * *

Cruhteo watched the video on the datapad that Slaine had given him. He breathed a sigh of relief. "So they're alright, the both of them."

Slaine was standing in the hangar as Cruhteo reviewed the information.

"Slaine."

He looked up to see Cruhteo's cane in the air flying at him. Slaine closed his eyes, expecting a heavy impact when he felt a light tap on his head. Opening his eyes, he saw that Cruhteo had a kinder smile on his face.

"That is for using the audience chamber. In all else, you have shown exemplary diligence, proving your loyalty a thousand times over." He turned to the crew. "Prepare the Landing Castle to leave in twenty-four hours! Recalibrate destination to the UFE headquarters in Russia and tell them that we are calling a cease-fire."

After receiving a "Yes, my lord!" from the crew, Cruhteo turned back to Slaine. "I'm curious. Why did you not tell me about this earlier? You went off after them because you knew the princess was alive, did you not?"

Slaine nodded. "I was afraid that you were in league with the assassins. Sir Trillram mentioned a faction when he was talking about assassinating the princess."

"Trillram was part of this faction?" Cruhteo asked.

"Yes."

"I take it he did not die in the meteor bombardment, then?"

"No. He didn't. I was the one to shoot him."

Cruhteo's face darkened for a moment before relaxing. "I see. What gave you the idea that you could trust me?"

"Princess Asseylum's words. She asked me if I knew which family was the most loyal to the throne."

"Nevertheless, you restricted yourself for the sake of the prince and princess, even taking my punishment to keep them safe. Come, Slaine. I believe you deserve some rest."

"Thank you, milord. This is yours, right?" Slaine asked, attempting to hand him the signet ring.

Cruhteo looked at the ring. "Keep it. Consider it a gift from me for doing all in your power to keep the royal family safe."

* * *

"Umm, Seylu—"

"Hmm?" Asseylum turned to Inaho.

"No, I mean, Princess Asseylum." Inaho corrected himself.

Asseylum smiled. "I do not mind you calling me Seylum, Inaho."

"But I mind. From now on, add 'Your Highness' to terms you must address her by." Asseylum's personal handmaiden pushed herself between Asseylum and Inaho.

"Eddelrittuo!"

"But milady—" Eddelrittuo suddenly felt a light whack on the top of her head.

"Eddelrittuo, who here is royalty?" Alek asked from behind her.

Eddelrittuo grumbled, knowing where this was going. "You and your sister."

"And if we believe that it is alright to call us by our informal names, do you have a say in that?"

"No…"

Asseylum sighed. "I do apologize. This is her way of looking out for me. So, what is it—"

They were interrupted by a soon-to-be-deflated Calm. "Hey, Inaho! You and Alek knew there were Martians hiding among us?"

"Yeah."

"Where are they? I'm going to avenge Okojo!"

"Hmm, let's see. The two girls right next to Inaho and of course, me." Alek said, stepping forward.

Not recognizing him with the blonde hair, Calm only stared. "Umm, who are you?"

Alek sighed, activating his disguise before turning it back off. "Does that answer your question?"

"Wait, you're a Martian, Alek?"

"Well, yes. Is that so hard to believe?"

"Do you mind letting me talk to him, Aleksander?" Asseylum asked.

"Go for it, little sister."

Asseylum walked up to Calm. "I am the princess of Mars that you are looking for."

"Huh?"

"I deeply regret that so many of your fellow Terrans have been injured or killed. I assure you, this war is not what Vers wanted. My brother and I are doing all we can to bring this meaningless conflict to an end as soon as possible."

Calm seemed to stutter for a bit. "Umm, sure. Do your best!"

Alek was doing his very best not to roll his eyes.

"What are you blushing for?" Inko asked from right behind him.

"You're as red as a lobster." Nina commented.

"Where did you guys come from?" Calm was completely startled.

Inko decided to ignore the question. Instead, she continued to lambaste him. "Didn't you say you were going to get revenge?"

"Yeah, you said something about all Martians being the enemy."

Calm tried to defend himself. "I never said any such thing. There are good Martians and bad Martians, same as everywhere else. Right, Inaho? Alek?"

When neither gave him a response, Calm started sulking before running off. "Back my play, man!"

"That's why there's no trusting Terrans." Eddelrittuo sighed.

"Give a ranting young man a pretty face and he will change his tune almost instantly." Alek agreed.

Asseylum just looked confused.

"Either way, the three of you go on ahead. I'll catch up in a bit." Alek said.

After Asseylum, Eddelrittuo, and Inaho walked off, Nina looked at Alek. "So, you're a Martian?"

"Yep."

"And the princess called you her brother… does that make you a prince?" Nina looked very curious.

"Crown prince, but yes." Alek said.

"Crown prince?"

"Basic gist, I'm going to be Emperor when I go home. Details take way too long."

"EMPEROR?!" Nina's eyes were as wide as saucers.

"Yes, Emperor." Alek sighed.

After Nina excused herself, Alek looked at Inko. "Want to go up to the deck? Inaho and Seylum are up there as well. I just need to grab my sketchbook before I go."

"Sure!"

* * *

"So, how goes the investigation, Count Cruhteo?" Saazbaum asked.

"Slaine Troyard has returned with a message from Prince Aleksander."

Saazbaum didn't believe his ears. "From the Prince?"

"Yes. He and Princess Asseylum are alive and well. Countess Femieanne was attacking the vessel which they were on when Slaine intervened."

Saazbaum's face darkened. "I see. And what of Femieanne?"

"Dead."

"It is unfortunate to think that the Orbital Knights would go so far as to attack their own prince and princess. We should deal with this at once." Saazbaum said.

"Agreed. Once the prince is rescued, we will seek out the ones who made a mockery of the Orbital Knights."

As the communication closed, Count Saazbaum began musing to himself.

 _So that's your plan? Get to a safe area before waiting for the Landing Castle to come down and pick you up. Not bad, Aleksander. Not bad at all. However, there is one hole in this plan. It is unfortunate that Cruhteo will die, but I will not let something so simple get in the way of my revenge._

"Prepare my Dioscuria. Have it ready in thirty minutes."

* * *

After running into Inaho and Asseylum having the closest thing Inaho had ever had to an intimate moment earlier, all Alek wanted to do was to bleach out that image (even if it was literally just Inaho keeping Seylum from losing her balance). Fortunately, sketching was always a good thing to do.

Inko still had a hard time adjusting to Alek's blonde hair. It still seemed somewhat unreal to her that all this time, the brown hair was a lie.

"So what did you want to ask me about earlier?" Inko asked.

"Hmm?" Alek looked up from his sketchbook.

"You know, from before the attack."

"Oh, that. It's nothing."

"You're sure about that?" Inko asked.

Alek nodded. "Yeah, absolutely."

"No you're not." Inko refuted him. "You have that expression on your face again. The one where you don't want people to worry, but you're worried."

"Guilty."

"Hey, other than your sister, I'm pretty sure I'm the one that knows you best. So what is it?"

The crown prince of Vers shook his head. "I'll tell you later." He stood up to leave, but Inko grabbed his arm.

"Alek. Please. You're not acting like yourself. What is it?"

Alek hesitated for a second before deciding to tell part of the truth. "I don't want to leave Earth. If I do, I might never come back again." _And I don't want to be separated from you._

Inko's grip slackened. "Is there something else?"

"There is, but I'd rather not talk about it now. I'll tell you before I leave for Vers, I promise."

Inko let go of Alek. She stood there for a couple minutes, pondering what Alek had said before noticing that he had left his sketchbook on the deck. She decided to leaf through it. She saw a few birds, as well as a drawing of a sunset. As she went through Alek's sketches, she noticed a lot of nature-related content, ranging from trees to flowers to even grass. She gasped when she got to the last few pages.

On those pages, Alek had drawn people. Rather, he had drawn all of them. Inaho, Nina, Calm, Okisuke, Asseylum, all of them were in the sketchbook. There were a few that she didn't recognize, but she figured that they were important to Alek as well.

On the last page, she found a picture of herself. Unlike the others though, this one had a more gentle touch to it, as if Alek seemed to spend the most time on this particular sketch, drawing out every little bit of Inko that he could, from her personality to her body. While the rest were still very accurate, this one was down to much smaller details. It made Inko's heart skip a beat, as she came to the realization that Alek cared very much for her.

 _Is that what you were too scared to tell me?_ Inko wondered.

Elsewhere, Alek blinked. _I forgot my sketchbook on the deck. Whoops._

* * *

"Are preparations ready for the landing castle to return to orbit?" Cruhteo asked.

"We should be ready in about ten minutes." One of the operators said.

"Count Cruhteo, is there anything you need me to do?" Slaine asked, walking in.

Cruhteo shook his head. "Nothing for now, Slaine. If I need your assistance in something, I will send for you."

"Count Cruhteo! There is an object approaching from orbit!"

"What? Another meteor bombardment?" Cruhteo asked.

"No, milord. Given its rate of deceleration, it is far less dense. It's adjusting its landing trajectory… Estimated landing point is this Landing Castle!"

The Landing Castle started shaking as the object landed, causing huge shockwaves and crippling the structure.

"Evacuate the castle now!" Cruhteo gave the order to everyone.

Unfortunately, they were a tad bit slow, as a giant fist came through the roof and slammed through, making a giant hole. Slaine was knocked back into the wall by the impact and lost consciousness, while Cruhteo struggled to get off the ground. He was shocked to see the kataphrakt that attacked him.

"The Dioscuria! Count Saazbaum? Does that mean he's the ringleader of the assassins? I need to get to my Tharsis at once."

Those were Cruhteo's last words, as the hand of the Dioscuria came down and wiped him out of existence.

* * *

Saazbaum held Slaine Troyard in the hand of his kataphrakt. _A hindrance he may be to our plans, but I owe a debt to Doctor Troyard. I will not kill his son._

Satisfied with his work, Saazbaum transferred Slaine to an airtight compartment in the Dioscuria before flying back to his landing castle, leaving Castle Cruhteo in absolute ruin.

* * *

 **And bam. Significant divergence.**

 **Oh alright, it's not that significant. Allow me to list the significant changes of this chapter:**

 **Slaine doesn't get tortured.**

 **Alek inadvertently reveals his feelings to Inko**

 **The big thing of note here is that Slaine trusts Count Cruhteo, instead of being taciturn. That'll make a difference in the future when he interacts with Klancain and Saazbaum.**

 **So yeah, until next time.**

 **WX**


	9. Darkness Visible

**So once again, Rayet gets pissed off at royals, Slaine has to deal with Saazbaum, and Alek is stuck in a strange situation where doing nothing will make things worse.**

 **Also, to basically understand what I'm doing in terms of changing the story:**

 **Imagine that canon for season 1 is a straight line from point A to point B. Currently, what I'm doing is curving the line here and there, with the final destination being a point close to point B, but not actually point B.**

* * *

Slaine stirred from where he was, slowly adjusting to his surroundings. _Where am I? I remember being in Count Cruhteo's castle… we were attacked, but I don't know by what. Something came through the roof and I was knocked unconscious…_

"I see you're awake, Slaine Troyard." Count Saazbaum said to Slaine, closing a book.

Unconsciously, Slaine couldn't help but make the comparison between Saazbaum and Aleksander in how both of them seemed to enjoy reading.

"Where am I?" He asked.

"My castle. You are safe now. Take your time and rest."

"What happened?" Slaine asked, sitting up. "I remember being in Count Cruhteo's castle until when we were attacked by someone. I was knocked unconscious… Is Count Cruhteo alright?"

"He is dead. I saw to that."

Slaine's eyes widened. "You're the one that attacked us? Why did you spare me, then?'

"I owe a debt to your father. Hence, I am obligated to repay that debt, regardless of reasons not to."

"You owed my father a debt?"

"Indeed. When the war first broke out 15 years ago, I was sent down as a scout. There, I was caught in Heaven's Fall and severely wounded. In the middle of that cataclysm, with no way to access help, I was saved by your father, Dr. Troyard."

Slaine looked up. "My father did that?"

"Yes. If not for him, I would not be here today."

There was one thing that was bothering Slaine, mainly because of the implications of the attack. He didn't know how to ask the question, though. "Count Saazbaum, are you…"

"Am I the traitor who plotted the assassination of the princess and the death of her brother? Yes."

Suffice to say, Slaine did not expect that response.

* * *

Alek was walking around looking for Inko, as he didn't see his sketchbook on the deck of the Deucalion. It was a shame too, he had just finished using every single page.

 _I really hope that Inko has it. I must have put around seventy hours into that sketchbook. It would suck to see all that work disappear. At least I have another sketchbook if I ever need to start from scratch. At the same time though, I hope she didn't look in it. That would be kind of embarrassing._

All of a sudden, he heard Yuki's voice going over instructions for kataphrakt training, as well as a reply from Inko. Calm took a look at the screen that Yuki was going over. "Wow. Inko's good."

"She has pretty good instincts. Almost as good as Alek's. You here to practice as well, Calm?"

"I got assigned to maintenance." Calm put his hands behind his head.

"For now, maybe."

Calm looked surprised. "You mean, there might be an opening?"

"Get your scores out of the gutter and there just might be." Alek said, walking in.

"Must you bring up my scores every time I want to go into piloting?" Calm groaned.

"I call it as I see it. Speaking of which, Inko's actually doing really good. Up her accuracy and reaction time by a little bit and she'd probably be at my level."

"Mind if I give it a try?" A new voice appeared.

Alek turned to the source. _Ah, it's Rayet._

"Oh, Sniper Girl." Calm said.

"Sniper Girl?" Alek asked.

"She shot that Martian kataphrakt right in the chest when it was down."

 _Ah. So she's the one who dealt the killing blow to the Hellas. Makes sense, I guess._

"I thought you didn't have any military training." Yuki said, confused.

"I learned from video games." Rayet replied.

"Sim-Kat 10, right? That game is the best! I'm only so-so at military exercises, but I kick ass at that game!"

"Calling your performance in military exercises so-so is the equivalent of calling Okisuke's performance on the midterms passing." Alek pointed out.

"Oh come on! I didn't do that much worse than Inko- don't you dare pull out that datapad!" Calm protested.

Alek blinked, hand in back pocket. "I would ask why you thought I was going to do that, but I already know the answer."

"Wait, didn't you give your datapad to the person in that sky carrier?" Yuki asked.

"I have another one with all the information backed up. There was this one time a student tried to steal my datapad so he could change his score. I've been careful to have a backup since then."

"Paranoid kataphrakt instructor." Calm muttered under his breath. He noticed Rayet's gaze shift to the right, and was somewhat surprised to see Inaho explaining stuff to Princess Asseylum and her handmaiden. "The Martians, huh? They look exactly the same us. You'd never know unless someone told you."

"Well, I did spend seven years with you guys and you never figured out. It would make sense." Alek said.

"Oh yeah, I've been wondering. What's with that? Why were you on Earth for so long?" Calm asked.

"Long story short, I wanted to learn about Earth from firsthand experience. I didn't mention it because people weren't supposed to know about the existence of the Prince of Vers."

"Oh. I see. Still though, it's strange. Did anyone know after the war began?"

"Inaho and Inko, though we didn't exactly reveal ourselves willingly to them." Alek said, taking a drink from his water bottle.

"Why didn't either of them tell us though? They knew who you guys were but didn't say a thing."

"Well, I guess my Nao-kun and Inko have grown up." Yuki said. "I just wish my brother had opened up to his big sister, at least. Since he met a girl he likes and all."

Yuki's statement was met with incredulous reactions. Inko's training simulation went down at the same time that Alek spat out the water he was drinking.

"Glorious reaction, your Majesty." Rayet said sarcastically, a smirk on her face.

"Come again? What's that supposed to mean?" Inko's face suddenly appeared on the monitor.

"Given the times we live in, a Martian won't be met with open arms. But if he marries a princess, my Nao-kun would be marrying into some serious money." Yuki closed her eyes to picture the thought.

"Is that true? Is that what he plans to do?" Inko got out of the kataphrakt.

Alek sweated internally. _Umm… Someone please tell me that this is just Yuki's delusions and not what Inaho's actually going to do? I'm not 100% sure that I want him as a brother-in-law. Or Yuki as a distant relation. That would be terrifying._

"Need I remind you that that is my _sister_ you are talking about?" Alek made sure to put extreme emphasis on the word 'sister'.

"Plus, I don't get that vibe at all. He never cracks a smile, and he always has that same old grumpy look on his face." Calm said.

"It's completely different." Yuki said.

"Really?" Alek and Calm both asked.

"I'm family, so I can tell. I know how he looks when he's happy, when he's depressed, and when he's lying. That's his 'I'm on cloud nine' face."

 _That's the same look he always has on his face…_ Alek thought to himself.

Calm seemed to agree. "I dunno…"

"For starters, that cold fish listening to a girl is unusual in and of itself, right?" Yuki asked.

"Now that's true."

 _Are you freaking serious?_

"For that boy, it's the ultimate expression of affection."

"Warrant Officer Kaizuka! May I take a break?" Inko asked, getting down from the kataphrakt.

"Sure."

"Oh, me too!" Calm said, following along.

Rayet and Alek just stood there. "May I try the simulator?" Rayet asked.

"Of course! You don't want to join them?" Yuki asked.

Rayet reached the lift to get in the kataphrakt. "Can you really tell? When someone is lying?"

"Pretty much. I mean, I can tell from your face that you're lying." Yuki said.

Rayet grew wary as Yuki continued talking. "A Martian. And a princess to boot. Guys sure love to take on a challenge, huh?" Rayet relaxed as she realized Yuki wasn't talking about her. "But you have a shot too, so don't give up. Hang in there. As a big sister, I love that my brother is popular with the girls."

After Rayet got inside the kataphrakt, Alek sighed. "It's really not that great, Yuki. Being popular with the girls."

"Oh come on, Alek. Surely there was some good to it? What was it like, having so many girls willing to be your girlfriend, hmm?" Yuki teasingly nudged Alek's arm, remembering that Alek was pretty popular as well.

"Meaningless if the one girl you do love isn't." Alek replied.

Yuki stopped for a moment, taking on a more serious expression. She could only think of one person that Alek would think of in that way. "Inko?"

"Inko." Alek confirmed, walking off.

* * *

Calm walked into the cafeteria with his food. The first thing he saw was Alek poking listlessly at his meal by himself.

He walked over to Alek. "Mind if I join you?"

"Go for it." Alek said, not even seeming to care as he continued playing around with his food.

"Man, what's with you today? You seemed pretty upbeat earlier, at least when we last saw you. Does it have anything to do with your sister and Inaho?" Calm asked.

Alek laughed lifelessly. "If only that were the case. Things would be a lot easier." He poked into his rice and took a bite.

"Alright, I'll bite. What's bothering you?" Calm asked.

"Nothing that you need to worry about. It's a more… personal problem." Alek finally began eating his food, instead of just playing with it.

Calm was uncertain as to what to say here, so he stayed silent.

After Alek finished eating, he stood up. "If you need to find me, I'll be on the deck."

"We're in the air and moving."

"So? It's not like I'm going out into the open. Just by the wall." Alek left the cafeteria, depositing his tray in a bin.

Calm was still confused. _What's going on with Alek?_

* * *

When Alek walked out onto the deck, he was surprised to see Captain Magbaredge.

"You too?" He asked.

Darzana Magbaredge looked at him. "What brings you out here, Audet?"

"Reality." Alek said.

Magbaredge put away her phone. This sounded serious. "What's the problem?"

Alek sat down with his back to the wall before letting out a long sigh. "Would you believe me if I told you that the problem was girl trouble?"

"Somehow, that seems more believable than anything else you might come up with. So what is it?"

Alek sighed. "Put very simply, there's a girl I like, I'm 99% sure that she likes someone else, everyone thinks that the guy she has a crush on likes a different girl."

"Names?" Now the captain was curious.

"Inko Amifumi, Inaho Kaizuka, Asseylum Vers Allusia. In that order."

"That sounds rather complicated. Where did you get the idea that Kaizuka Junior has an attraction to your sister? And why are you so certain that Amifumi likes Kaizuka Junior?"

"Older sister who believes that she knows her younger brother the best, along with best friend's reaction to older sister."

Captain Magbaredge stood there for a few minutes, pondering Alek's words. "Best friend?"

"When I first came to Earth, Inko was the person who made me forget all my troubles and regrets in coming here. She was the first person to really become my friend. Somewhere along the line, maybe about two, maybe three years ago, I began falling in love with her."

"So why didn't you say anything?"

"Reality is a cruel mistress." Alek said. "Even if we did get together, we would only be forced to split apart. A Terran? Marrying the Crown Prince of Vers? There would be outrage in the streets and dissent from the nobility. It could never work."

"Would you like my advice on this?" The captain asked.

"Be my guest." Alek began drinking out of a water bottle he had brought, handing Magbaredge one as well. "Water?"

"Thanks, but I'll pass. I think you should just tell her how you feel."

Alek spit out the water he was in the process of drinking. _Dammit that's twice today._ "What? Are you crazy? There are so many ways that could go wrong!"

"Do you know one of the multiple reasons that XO Mizusaki can't get a date? It's because she always plays it safe. If you only play it safe and never take risks, you'll never find the right person for you. You're afraid that she'll say no, right? Tell me, do you want to walk around, never knowing her answer? Living the rest of your days in regret because you were too afraid?"

Alek just sat there, taking in her words. The captain sighed. "Either way, it's up to you to decide what happens in the end. I'm going back in. Coming?"

Alek shook his head. "I'm going to sit out here for a bit longer. Watching the sky has always calmed me down."

"Alright. Just make sure not to stay out for too long."

* * *

Slaine was having an extremely awkward dinner. Especially given the fact that Count Saazbaum was eating right across from him.

"What's wrong? Not hungry?" The count asked. "Don't worry, it's not poisoned. Had I wished to kill you, I would have done so long ago."

Slaine merely sat in silence for a bit longer before asking the question that had been bothering him. "Count Saazbaum."

"Yes?"

"Why are you so determined to fight Earth?"

"It is a lord's duty to his vassals to fight to expand his territory."

Slaine was doubtful. "Just for that?"

"It is that great a cause. These are creatures that fly through the air, I understand?"

"Yes, milord." Slaine replied. He blinked as he took a second look. _Chicken._ "Actually, this type of bird is flightless."

Saazbaum stared at the chicken for a moment. "Unimaginable luxury to the people of Vers, who subside of chlorella and krill. I feel nothing but indignation to the Terrans who so offhandedly sent them as relief supplies."

Slaine looked down at the food. "This is not a luxury item. It is processed food tailored to space transport and preservation."

"Culture is the sole domain of Earth, blessed with abundant water and air overflowing with countless living creatures. On Father Vers, though technology is advanced thanks to Aldnoah, culture has not developed at all. There is no reason that we should not seize this world and its plentiful resources."

"But even so, there is no reason to exploit Princess Asseylum and Prince Aleksander to-"

"It is too late. The war has already begun. The prince and princess will be human sacrifices. If not both, then at least one of them."

At this point, Slaine could not restrain himself any longer. "They are innocent!"

"They are royalty. Their very lineage is their crime." Saazbaum replied. "Tell me, Slaine. Do you know the real reason that Prince Aleksander decided to go to Earth to study?"

That took Slaine back. "You mean it wasn't for firsthand experience?"

"That was the secondary reason. The Emperor confided in me the reason that the prince went to Earth. It was because he felt guilty."

"Guilty?" Aleksander, of all people?

"Yes. Guilty for the crimes that his father committed, stirring the people into a frenzy fifteen years ago. For that, I will make him pay with his own flesh and blood."

"His highness had nothing to do with that!"

"No? Then perhaps you'll believe what this says." Count Saazbaum handed Slaine a journal.

"What is this?" Slaine asked.

"The personal journal of Second Emperor Gilzeria. In it, he details one detail very specific to the cause of the war. The reason he caused it. Did you know? He started the war simply because he saw the prince reach out for a picture of Earth one time. The 25th and 26th entry say pretty much everything. ."

Slaine flipped to that page and began reading. _"It has been six months since Aleksander was born. Today, his mother, Allusia, had me read to him today. From a picture book, no less. I supposed I could do so much for my son. Aleksander reached out for the picture of Earth that he saw in the book. It made me wonder, do I want my son living on Vers? This desolate wasteland? Our technology may be far more advanced, but it is a wasteland, regardless."_

He continued on to the next entry. It was somewhat shorter. _"I may be damned to hell for this, but I will see to this war. It should be easy enough to convince the people of Vers that all the blame for our poverty belongs to Earth. People are quite gullible like that, after all. We will take Earth. My son deserves to live on a planet full of life, not a desolate wasteland."_

Slaine closed the journal, clearly disturbed by what he had just read.

"You see? Prince Aleksander has everything to do with this. Is my revenge not justified?"

Slaine couldn't help it anymore. He took a knife and pointed at Count Saazbaum, leaving it less than an inch away from his neck. "Please don't kill them. Even if Prince Aleksander holds some responsibility, he is not responsible for everything."

Saazbaum remained unfazed. "We are a people oppressed under a feudal system centered around Aldnoah. Our impoverished, shabby country looks down upon a world with a vast, rich history. Such nonsense. It is only natural that Vers, where the masses had been controlled by saying 'Be envious of Earth, be jealous of Earth, despise Earth' is so corrupt that only through invading Earth can its great cause be maintained. The royal family chose war to maintain order on Vers. Heaven's Fall came as a result of that war and my betrothed, Orlane, lost her life!"

The count gripped the knife, causing his hand to start bleeding. "This war is my vengeance. It is my task. Defy me and I will show you no mercy, even if you are the son of the man I owe my life to."

Slaine let go of the knife. How could he not, after what he had just heard?

* * *

It took Inko a while to remember that she still had to return Alek's sketchbook. Thus, her search for Alek began. She also had other things she needed to tell him as well.

 _Where could Alek be? Last time I saw him, he was still with Yuki at the simulator, but that can't be where he is now._

She went to Yuki to check and see where Alek was. Yuki's only word of advice was to maybe look in the cafeteria. She didn't find Alek there, but she did find his sister.

"Umm, Princess Asseylum?" Inko asked.

"Oh, Inko! And please, just call me Asseylum or Seylum. There's no need for the 'princess'."

"But princess!"

"Eddelrittuo, we've been over this before." Asseylum said.

"Right, um, Asseylum, have you seen your brother?" Inko asked.

The princess of Vers frowned. "I actually haven't seen him in the last few hours."

At this, Inko was starting to worry. "Do you know where he might be?"

"Well, he really does enjoy watching the sky. It helps him relax when he's feeling down."

"Thanks, Asseylum." Inko got up to leave.

"Just a moment, Inko. Why are you looking for my brother?" Asseylum seemed curious.

Inko paused. She decided to answer. "I need to return his sketchbook."

"Is that it?" Asseylum asked. "Because if that's it, then I can easily return it to him for you."

"No." Inko admitted.

Eddelrittuo's cheeks seemed to puff up at the idea that a commoner was trying to get to know the prince on a very personal level.

"Well, in that case, I wish you the best of luck with my brother." Asseylum said.

Inko felt her face burning at the implication of what Asseylum said. "W-what?"

"Come now, I know my brother cares greatly for you. Even to the point that he would put himself at risk to save your life. Do try to take his feelings into consideration, would you?" Asseylum asked, a smile on her face.

Did all royalty have this ability to perceive things or something? "R-right!"

After leaving, Inko started thinking. _Where could Alek go to watch the sky?_

"Something wrong, Inko?" Calm asked, running into her.

"I can't find Alek."

"Oh, he's out on the deck of the Deucalion."

That was not the answer she wanted to hear. "What? What if he falls off?"

"He said he was going to stay by the wall, so he's fine. I think." Calm frowned.

That got Inko running. Something must have really been bothering Alek for him to even risk going out like that. Alek never took risks that he couldn't calculate.

When Inko finally got out on the deck, she saw Alek sitting at the wall, looking up at the sky.

"So this is where you've been." Inko said.

Alek shrugged. "Only for the last hour. Water?" He offered her a bottle.

"Thanks." Inko sat down right next to him. "So what's been going on?"

"Not much. Pretty much just contemplating what I'm going to do with my last days on Earth." Alek said.

"You make it sound like you're going to die." Inko tried to make a small joke.

Alek smiled sadly. "In a sense, I am. After all, once I return to Vers, Alek Audet, otherwise known as Prince Aleksander Vers Allusia, will cease to exist. Emperor Aleksander Vers Allusia will take his place."

The concept seemed rather depressing to Inko. They sat there in silence for a while before Inko remembered why she went looking for Alek in the first place.

"Here." She handed him his sketchbook.

Alek took it. "Thanks. Did I leave it out on the deck the other day?"

"Yeah. I decided to keep it safe for you."

"Thanks, Inko." Something else bothered Alek. "Did you look in it?"

"All of it." Inko admitted. "Even the last page."

"Oh." Alek sat there, unsure as to how to proceed. "So what about Inaho?"

Inko blushed. Alek sighed. "Don't deny it."

"I'm not. It's just… I think I know how I feel about him, but at the same time, I'm not completely sure. It's strange."

"That's one way of putting it." Alek muttered.

Inko thought for a moment before carefully choosing her next words. "Alek, you're always going to be important to me. No matter what."

Alek gave her a weak smile. "Thanks, Inko."

Inko decided to hug Alek. Alek was confused. "Inko?"

"Just let me hold onto you like this for a while, alright?" Inko cut off anything else that he was going to say.

Alek relented. "Alright."

They maintained that position for a couple minutes until the two of them suddenly felt the ship lurch.

"What was that?" Inko got up, almost stumbling.

Alek maintained a low position. "We need to get in right now!"

They managed to get in before they fell to the ground from the impact of the Deucalion with the ground.

"What happened?" Inko looked confused. "Did the Aldnoah drive deactivate or something?"

Alek shook his head. "Aldnoah drives don't deactivate. The only way for them to deactivate is if a member of the royal family forcibly shuts it down, it gets destroyed, or—" He suddenly stopped, a horrified expression on his face.

"Or?" Inko prompted.

"The heart of the person who activated it stops beating." Alek finished slowly.

* * *

 **Alright, this was easily the toughest chapter for me to write, as I wasn't sure how I was going to approach Inko and Alek's relationship. I must have rewritten this like three times in my head before I put it down and then rewrote it again on Microsoft Word. As it is, I'm not sure as to how good of a job I did on it.**

 **Either way, the chapter is out now, after days of deliberation.**

 **Until next chapter,**

 **WX**


	10. Seeing Hell

**Basically we're picking off just where we left off in the last chapter.**

 **Also, some dark/heavy-ish stuff coming up this chapter, so a word of warning to the extremely squeamish.**

* * *

Alek and Inko began running down the hall in an attempt to find Asseylum.

"We should have taken her into custody the moment we figured out what she was. Dammit! I'm an idiot!" Alek berated himself.

"Who?" Inko asked.

"Rayet. The girl Yuki rescued that day when we were running away from the Nilokeras. I'm completely sure that she's a Martian as well. And that someone from her family was involved in the assassination attempt on my sister's life."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Think about it. Trillram was hell-bent on hunting us down. He even waited in his kataphrakt until morning just so he could intercept us. The moment he saw that Rayet was in the vehicle, he went off after her. He didn't even bother to look for you or Calm."

"How can you be so sure?"

Alek explained as they kept running. "If someone you knew had a gigantic piece of blackmail on you, such that the stability of an entire world would be compromised if it was found out, would you want that person alive or dead?"

"Umm, I'm still squeamish when it comes to killing people. But I get what you mean." Inko said.

"Let's just keep looking. I need to find Asseylum."

The two of them searched for about five minutes before they finally heard gunshots coming from the girls' shower. Instantly, the Alek panicked, running for the showers. He arrived to the scene of Rayet pointing a gun at the side of her own head.

"What am I even doing?" She asked.

"Don't!" Asseylum screamed.

Alek couldn't really bring himself to care about Rayet, given that she had attacked his sister. But at the same time, he wasn't about to let his sister's wish go down the drain. Before he could try to shoot the gun out of Rayet's hand though, Inaho pinned Rayet to the ground.

"What do you think you're doing?" Rayet demanded.

"Automatics won't fire with the slide open. I thought this was the best way to stop you without accidentally discharging the bullet." Inaho said.

"No, I meant-"

"To be honest, I couldn't care less if you were a Martian or a Terran." Inaho got off her before continuing. "You hate our enemies and those enemies are trying to kill you. But most importantly, you've fought at our side. What other reasons do I need?"

He handed Rayet the gun he had taken from her. Alek's noticed the bullet marks in the ground and was confused. _Did she not want to shoot Asseylum?_

"You trust me?" Rayet asked.

"At the very least, I don't think we're enemies. As to whether we'll be allies, that's up to you." Inaho said.

Rayet's eyes narrowed. "You might come to regret this."

Inaho helped her up once she grabbed the gun. After she got up, Rayet handed the gun to Captain Magbaredge, eliciting a sigh of relief from Alek.

"I'm taking you into custody. Warrant Officer Kaizuka."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Do whatever you want."

* * *

Asseylum looked at the necklace that Slaine gave her, thinking about how it had almost killed her. Alek sat in a chair next to her.

"Isn't that Slaine's necklace?" Alek asked, remembering seeing that necklace before around Slaine's neck.

"He gave it to me before I left for Earth. He said it was an old Earth charm that warded off evil spirits."

"Sounds like Slaine. I did say that you have him wrapped around your finger." Alek said.

"That is NOT true." Asseylum's cheeks puffed up from where she was lying on the bed.

"Dr. Yagarai, what is the princess' condition?" Captain Magbaredge came in.

"She seems fine. But to be safe, she should rest for a while." The doctor said.

"I see." The captain turned to Alek. "Do you mind activating the Aldnoah drive, then?"

"It's fine, I can see to the drive." Asseylum tried to get up, before Alek pressed his hand to her shoulder and kept her down.

"Oh no you don't. You are getting your rest and that is final. I'll see to the drive- don't you DARE pull out those puppy eyes." Alek said.

Asseylum relented. "Aww. I thought this was supposed to work on you all the time."

"Let's just say it works 99% of the time. This is the 1%."

As Alek walked to go activate the drive, Inko tagged along. "Why would your sister pull out puppy eyes for activating an Aldnoah drive?"

"Would you believe if I told you that messing around with Aldnoah drives was part of how Asseylum and I played when we were around five to seven years old?" Alek asked, an embarrassed smile on his face.

"Seriously?" Inko had to stifle a bit of laughter.

"I kid you not. We often ended up deactivating a bunch of them and reactivating them afterwards so that everyone would be utterly confused as to why their stuff didn't work. We got caught quite a few times while we were doing it." Alek said. "Grandfather gave us quite the scolding when he caught us."

"So why did the two of you stop?"

"He threatened to take away our activation factor if we kept on pulling these pranks." Alek said.

Inko was confused. "Is that even possible?"

"No. But we didn't know that at the time. We were kids, after all." Alek said. "You can't take away the activation factor from someone who has it burned into their genes, not transferred through bodily fluids."

They finally got to the room with the Aldnoah Drive, a small translucent orb.

"That's an Aldnoah drive?" Inko asked, incredulous.

"Doesn't look like much, I know. But it's ridiculous in terms of its capabilities." He placed his hand on the drive, making it glow. "In the name of the Aleksander Vers Allusia, I command you. Awaken, Aldnoah."

The Aldnoah drive took on a warm yellow light.

"Did you actually need to say all that?" Inko asked.

"Eh, not actually. Habits and all that stuff. I could literally press my hand to the drive, say 'Awake', and it would instantly activate. Or I could say 'Sleep' to make it deactivate instantly. Royal family and all that stuff. We get into the habit of making lengthy speeches for the sole purpose of sounding fancy when really we're just trying to waste time because we're expected to make speeches. Trust me, we even have a tutor to help us learn this stuff. We paid him to keep really quiet about it."

"You mean every fancy speech you'll have to do is maybe 30% content and 70% filler?" Inko asked.

"More like 20% content and 80% useless bull." Alek admitted. "Spur of the moment speeches can be 100% content, but that's a different story. But speeches aside, I need to go talk to Rayet."

Inko blinked. "What for?"

"I need her to understand a couple of things."

When they got to the place where Rayet was being kept, Yuki looked at them curiously. "This isn't exactly the place you go to for a date."

Alek looked completely unfazed, though Inko started blushing. "I need to talk to Rayet. There's something that she should know."

"Can I listen in?" Inko asked.

The disturbed look on Alek's face almost put her off, but Alek nodded. "You can, but you won't like it."

* * *

Rayet was not expecting any visitors. So when Alek came to her room, she was surprised, to say the least. It didn't keep her from being sarcastic, though.

"So how can I help you, your highness?" She asked.

Alek sighed. "Do you mind just referring to me by my first name? Being called 'your highness' or 'Prince Aleksander' is still a little bit disconcerting to me. Especially because I've been living on this planet for seven years now."

Rayet stayed laying on her bed. "Alright. How can I help you then, Alek?"

"I've already heard everything from Asseylum regarding why you attacked her. I just came here to ask one thing. Did you really think that your father would be knighted after assassinating my sister?"

When Rayet remained silent, Alek sighed. "Your father was everything to you, wasn't he?"

"What about it?" Rayet asked in almost an emotionless manner. Alek picked up on the confirmation behind it though.

"Were you everything to your father?" Alek asked. "No, I suppose you don't know the answer to that. Though if I were to guess, you probably were."

"What are you getting at?" The girl asked, sitting up to glare at him.

Alek took a breath. This was going to be the toughest part to explain without having Rayet severely injure/kill him. "Your father was an idiot."

Ten seconds later, Alek found himself pinned to the wall. He let himself be, though. When Yuki came in to check on them, Alek raised his hand to tell her to back off.

Rayet grit her teeth. "You have no right to say that about my father. What do you know? You were born with a silver spoon in your mouth! You had rights to everything you could ever want in your life! You know nothing!"

"So what? What does it matter that I was born as royalty? As a man who considered his own father an idiot for similar reasons, I believe I have some right." Alek replied.

Rayet loosened her grip at Alek's statement, prompting him to continue. "Do you know why my father, Emperor Gilzeria, declared war? It was because of me."

"Of you?" Rayet asked incredulously.

"To some degree. Sure, he coveted Earth's resources. But that wasn't the trigger for him to start the war. It was merely a secondary reason. He started the war because he saw his son reach out for a picture of Earth. To him, I was almost everything. Count Cruhteo once told me that a father's pride was his son. He was right." Alek pushed Rayet's hand off his shirt. "Believe it or not, your father and my father were actually very similar. They both were willing to start a war that would cause the death of millions, simply because they believed their children would be able to live better lives that way. Neither of them thought about the consequences of their actions. There's one difference, though."

"What's that?" Rayet asked, finally letting go of Alek.

"Your story would never have a happy ending to it." Alek said grimly. "If anything, death was the kindest thing that could have been granted to your father, had your family returned to Vers."

"How dare you-"

"Let me finish." Alek said, trying to placate her. "Say your father was knighted and you returned to Vers. The very knowledge that the Orbital Knights were responsible for the death of Asseylum would be a high-level risk. The ringleaders of the assassination would never feel safe with your father walking around free. They would find some way to shame his name, making it so anything he said would be considered pointless. Your family would be viewed as a disgrace to the Vers Empire, and you would be eventually be forced to find some method of surviving in society over there or succumb to the whims of the higher-ups."

"Such as?"

"If you were lucky, you might find yourself as an operator for some low-end facility. That's the very best you could have done, though."

"And the worst?" Rayet asked, not liking where this was going.

"You would end up being the sex toy of some noble. I've seen it happen before, though I was too young to understand at the time. A noble would go out into the streets, looking for a woman in the more impoverished areas of Vers to take back, ravishing her without remorse or mercy. And if they fought back, it only made things worse for them. They would be _broken._ Tell me, what would happen if your father found out that same thing happened to you?"

Rayet found herself unable to speak, so Alek continued. "It would _shatter_ him. He would have to go through each day, knowing that his daughter was being used as nothing more than satisfaction for some noble's libido. Because of him. Because he didn't think his options through."

"How do you know about this?" Rayet's voice was a horrified whisper.

Alek looked away. "Sir Trillram. There's a reason he hated me with a passion. I stopped his advances on a girl one time, when I was just eight."

Rayet's eyes widened. "How… why…"

"Because the girl couldn't have been older than Asseylum at the time. Seven years old. For six years, I had done my best to be a good older brother for Asseylum. And to see someone else her age go through the kind of pain that no one should have to go through was too much for me. I ordered Trillram to let her go. When he refused, I had the guards apprehend him so the girl could get away. The only people who knew about it were me, Trillram, the guards who apprehended him at the time, and the Emperor. I never told anyone else."

"So why are you telling me all this?" Rayet asked.

"Because this is something you need to hear. If you ever find yourself lost, come find me." Alek said.

As Alek walked out, Inko followed. "What happened to that girl?"

"You mean the one from all those years ago?" Alek asked. After Inko nodded, he answered her. "She's a trainee pilot now. I helped get her into the military so she could have a safe place to live."

"I-I see."

"I'm sorry, Inko. You didn't have to hear all that." Alek said.

"No, it's alright. I just wish you didn't have to go through so much when you were younger."

Alek gave her a light smile. "I may have seen things that would make most people shudder in horror, but I have had the chance to see good as well. Especially when I came to Earth. That's why I'm going to do everything in my power to protect those that matter to me."

* * *

Slaine was feeling utterly miserable. After what he had heard from Count Saazbaum regarding Prince Aleksander, he couldn't help but feel a little bit of anger at his friend, even if he knew it was completely unjustified.

 _All this time, he had his reasons for going to Earth. Why couldn't he tell us?_

Despite his thoughts, he knew why. Prince Aleksander and Princess Asseylum were both similar in one aspect: They cared for everyone. The two of them simply couldn't find it in their body to not care for people in need, regardless of the situation. They always put others before themselves.

Sometimes, he wished it was otherwise, but he knew that if that were the case, he wouldn't be alive. After all, it was Princess Asseylum that saved his life.

What bothered him though, was that he was finding less and less motivation to see to the end of the war. After what he had heard from Count Saazbaum about how he and Orlane had been dispatched to Earth first, his heart was conflicted. He didn't know who was right and who was wrong anymore.

There was only one thing that remained constant to him. He wanted the two royals to stay safe.

A guard came in. "Get up and follow me."

* * *

After the Deucalion landed, Alek changed into an attire more befitting his royal position, wearing a longcoat not unlike his father's, though with a black dress shirt on the inside. Before he got to the broadcasting room, Inko got in his way.

"This is it, isn't it?" Inko asked.

Alek nodded. "Yeah. I really wish it wasn't, though."

"You really look the part of the upper class wearing that, you know. It suits you."

"Really wish I didn't, though. Much as I like coats, this one feels just too fancy for my taste."

"Maybe you should have them redo your wardrobe when you go back home." Inko joked halfheartedly.

Alek sighed. "If only it were that easy. They'd probably insist on the most ridiculous-looking things out there, if grandfather's clothes are anything to go by."

Inko looked sad. "I'm going to miss you, Alek."

Alek smiled sadly. "I'll miss you too, Inko."

They stood there, silent for a little bit longer before Alek decided to go on instinct. "Inko?"

"Yeah?" Inko seemed somewhat confused.

"Do you mind if I act completely selfish for a couple of seconds?" Alek asked.

"Umm, sure?" Inko wasn't completely sure where this was going until Alek kissed her in the mouth. She went with it. After all, one of her closest friends was leaving. Quite possibly forever. She could let him leave with this much.

"Oh, am I interrupting?" A voice said.

The two of them split up in an instant as Asseylum literally walked in on them kissing, both of their faces being very red.

"Umm, I won't say a word to anyone." She walked off.

Alek scratched the back of his head. "Well that's embarrassing."

Inko agreed.

Once Alek walked to the room where they would be sending out the broadcast, Inko took a moment to sit down and let a tear fall. Life really wasn't fair.

After all, she had found herself starting to fall in love with him.

* * *

Asseylum stood to the side as her brother made the speech.

"I am Aleksander Vers Allusia, Crown Prince of Vers, grandson of Emperor Rayregalia Vers Rayvers. At my side stands my sister, Princess Asseylum Vers Allusia. I address the people of our homeworld, Vers. I would call for an immediate cessation of hostilities in this meaningless war. My sister and I are safe and well. The Terrans were not the ones to make the attempt on her life. The Orbital Knights plotted the assassination, in hopes of having a cause to invade Earth. The Terrans are innocent in this. I ask of you, stop this pointless fighting immediately and make peace with Earth. Put an end to this tragedy that has already taken hundreds of millions of lives."

After the broadcast ended, Aleksander breathed a sigh of relief. "I guess we'll be going home now. Cruhteo should be coming to pick us up in a bit. I'll go send in my withdrawal from the military."

"Aleksander… are you really alright with leaving Earth?" Asseylum asked her brother.

The crown prince shook his head. "Honestly, it doesn't matter anymore. When we go home, I will take the title I was always meant to have. Maybe in the future, you could come back as my representative. As for me, I will most likely stay on Vers."

"I see." Asseylum said, feeling sad for her brother. He would be leaving the girl he loved, possibly for the rest of his life.

Aleksander stopped by the door, sensing his sister's concern. "We are royalty, Asseylum. We have no choice but to make personal sacrifices when we take on our duties. That is the reality that we live in. To pretend otherwise is an insult to the lives that were hurt or lost to bring us to this point."

* * *

 **I'm ending the chapter here. The rest of this chapter would have pretty much followed canon Episode 10, so I didn't really bother with adding it in.**

 **It's always fascinated me how we don't consider death as heavy of a topic as some other things out there.**

 **Also, I've always considered Sir Trillram the ultimate asshole. And an idiot. From past fictional experiences, it's the ones that are the most puffed up about their superiority that seem to be the most immoral.**

 **Next chapter, Alek is going to be severely disappointed.**


	11. Wind, Snow and Stars

**Action scenes aren't exactly my forte, so I might have a bit of a struggle with this chapter and the next one.**

 **Also, it'd be nice if you guys left a bit of feedback on what I could improve on or simply your thoughts on where I'm taking this story.**

* * *

"Martian Landing Castle descending! Estimated point of touchdown is within a 20 km radius of the United Earth headquarters!"

Aleksander froze when he heard those words. _From the few reports that we've been able to garner, a Landing Castle's area of damage upon landing is estimated to be at the least enough to destroy most of New Orleans, which is around 30 miles at its longest point. Convert that to kilometers, and we get around 45 km in terms of damage. Assuming that it landed in the center, the radius of damage is about 22.5 km, which means that Landing Castle is coming for battle. That's not Count Cruhteo, is it?_

"Were you expecting someone, your highness?" The commander asked Aleksander.

"I was, but he wasn't supposed to go down that fast, so I don't think it's him." Aleksander said. "You should probably sound the alarm. I have a bad feeling about this."

Aleksander ran back to find his sister. Before he could though, a sudden tremor ran through the entire base.

"Kataphrakt platoons, get into position immediately!" An announcement came from the speakers.

The crown prince took a moment to grab a walkie talkie. "The moment you see an enemy kataphrakt, I need you to describe it to me. You don't need much. Just primary color and any secondary color."

He got a response almost immediately. "This is Shire Leader! We've come upon an enemy kataphrakt! It's black in color with red decal all over it-"

The communication cut off as Alek assumed that the kataphrakt was destroyed. _Black in color with red decal? So it's not Count Cruhteo's Landing Castle. None of the kataphrakts docked there have that color scheme. How, though? Only Cruhteo should have known of our plan to pick us up at this place. Is it possible that… someone killed him? If so, who would the killer have been?_

Aleksander came to the ugly possibility that he didn't want to come to. "I hope it isn't you, Count Saazbaum."

* * *

"Milady, it's dangerous here. I suggest we relocate at once." Eddelrittuo tried to get Asseylum to move.

"We've revealed that the assassination was a lie, so why are they still…" Asseylum was lost in her thoughts.

"Milady…"

"War truly was their objective all along. The assassination was merely an excuse. It never mattered one bit if I was dead or alive."

Eddelrittuo tried to reassure her. "That's not true! You are the beloved princess of Vers!"

"Then why is this place under attack?" Asseylum shouted in frustration.

That shut up Eddelrittuo for a few moments. Asseylum seemed to calm down. "Forgive me."

"It's alright, milady."

"Is there no one left who can put an end to the Orbital Knights' folly? Is there nothing more that I can do?" Asseylum asked herself.

Aleksander's voice came from behind her. "You already know the answer to that, Asseylum. Let's go."

Asseylum turned to face her brother. "Where are we going, Aleksander?"

"To the Deucalion. From there, we're going to put an end to this." He said.

"Do you have an idea of what to do?"

Aleksander smiled. "Remember that one time where we nearly compromised the infrastructure of the city while playing around with some Aldnoah drives?"

* * *

"All units, stand by in your kats. Be ready to move out at a moment's notice." Yuki informed Mustang Platoon, which, since Alek technically left, was currently composed of herself, Inko, and Inaho.

"Warrant Officer Kaizuka, is the Deucalion leaving?" Inko asked.

"Beats me. This might just be a defensive action."

She got a page. "Mustang Leader. What is it? Huh? Nao-kun, it's for you."

Inaho picked up the call. "Mustang 22."

"I shall help, too." Asseylum's voice came over the channel.

"Seylum…"

"All Vers weaponry is powered by Aldnoah drives. Landing Castles are no exception. If the Aldnoah drive is shut down, the Landing Castle will cease to function."

"How would we do that?"

"If the person who activated the drive loses his life, it will automatically shut down."

"Just like how the Deucalion fell out of the sky when you went into cardiac arrest."

"Yes. Also, one of the Vers emperor's bloodline would be able to forcibly shut it down."

"In other words, either you or your brother can shut it down."

"Yes." Asseylum confirmed.

"Where is your brother now?" Inaho asked.

"Right here. Is everyone on board the Deucalion already?" Alek asked.

"Are you alright with this plan, Alek?"

Inaho could hear a sigh. "Not particularly, but the other option is for us to stay here and hope that they miss us, which is impossible, given that I heard that the orders of the soldiers were to find and terminate us on sight."

"Understood. I'll escort the two of you to the Landing Castle.'

"Hold on, Nao-kun! Why are you always pulling this crap?"

"What crap?"

Yuki was mad at her brother. "You know what crap! The way you say insane things with a perfectly straight face!"

"Now that we know that political negotiations are pointless, Seylum and Alek's presence is of no benefit to us. If we lose, they're going to die either way. It's the logical decision."

"Logic is all that it has going for it! How many lives do you think it would cost?"

"Not as many as if we do nothing. This way, we have a chance at ending the fight." Alek interjected.

"And that makes it ok to pull this crap?" Yuki asked.

"This is war."

"My point exactly!"

There was silence before Inaho spoke again. "Sorry Yuki. But I think we should bet on the method with the best chances of success. That's all it is."

"I agree with his assessment." Asseylum said.

Yuki caved in. "Alright. I'll run it past the Captain."

"Thank you." The channel went silent.

Inko had mixed feelings on this. _At least I'll get to see Alek at least one more time._

* * *

Asseylum stopped walking. Aleksander turned, concerned for her. "Asseylum?"

"We've turned our people against us. No, I've turned our people against us."

"This is not the will of Vers. It is all a scheme by a bunch of traitors." Eddelrittuo tried to argue with Asseylum.

"No. The responsibility is mine alone. I am to blame." Asseylum said.

Aleksander shook his head. "It's as much my responsibility as it is yours. I was the one who proposed this plan. And look where it's gotten us. Where it's gotten everyone that's helped us. Come on, let's go."

* * *

Slaine couldn't take it anymore. He got in the sky carrier and flew towards the UFE base.

 _I have to do something for them. It doesn't matter what, I just need to. I can't let the people I care for die._

He wasn't sure what he would do though. He couldn't bring himself to turn a trigger on the people he had lived among for so long, and he couldn't just kill the terrans either. He just knew he had to do something.

After he had landed and started looking around for the prince and princess, he heard his earpiece buzz with info.

"Objective located! Currently attacking in underground dry dock!" A soldier reported.

Slaine got the message. That was where he was going.

* * *

Aleksander was stupefied, to say the least. If someone had told him that 12 year old handmaiden from Vers was better at driving a jeep than he was, he would have laughed at them. Granted, he had little skill in driving as well, but when Eddelrittuo proved himself to be an excellent driver, all the crown prince could do was stare in shock.

 _Where in the world did she learn how to drive like that? I don't remember seeing any cars on Vers…_

"There's the exit! I see the Deucalion!" Eddelrittuo shot right through the exit, landing on the ground with a hard thud before continuing to drive.

When the ship started spinning, Aleksander was surprised, though he quickly understood as he saw the Vers soldiers falling down.

He also noticed a bunch of bullets get embedded in the windshield. _Oh that's not good._

The rockets were the things that had him start worrying. Eddelrittuo seemed to be of similar mindset, chanting a little mantra to herself. "I'm not scared. I'm not scared. I'm not scared."

When the next rocket flew straight at them, the prince prepared for the worst.

The worst didn't happen. A communication channel opened up a second later.

"You alive?" A familiar voice said. "Keep the floor pedaled. I'll cover you."

"Rayet!" Asseylum seemed happy, while Aleksander simply smiled.

"I'll leave it to you, then." Aleksander got on the roof of the jeep, pulling Asseylum along with him.

Calm reached his hand out for them. Aleksander ignored it, jumping onto the hatch before turning around and pulling Asseylum up with him.

"Oh come on, Alek! Why do you have to leave me hanging?" Calm protested.

"No real reason." Alek said. "Just thought it would be faster."

As the hatch closed, Alek looked out to see Eddelrittuo drive off. _Try to stay safe, will you?_

* * *

Inko was excited to see Alek again. Maybe unreasonably so, given the situation, but she was excited all the same. So when Alek appeared, she proceeded to almost tackle him with a hug.

Alek smiled. "It's only been around an hour at most and you're already acting like I haven't been around for years?"

Inko backed up and lightly punched Alek in the shoulder. "You almost disappeared for the rest of my life! What was I supposed to do?"

"You know, I think we should leave these two to do their own thing." Asseylum said to Calm.

"Actually, we need all of you at the briefing room now. Go over the plan and all that." Yuki said.

"Alright then. Calm, could you outfit an Areion with this loadout for me?" Alek passed Calm his datapad.

Calm took a look. "Oh! Your suggestion for updates! I can do that. It shouldn't take too long. Why, though?"

"It'll optimize our chances of success."

* * *

Slaine watched as the Deucalion shot off into the sky. Part of him breathed a sigh of relief. _So they're safe for the moment. Good._

The other part of him had something else in mind. _I need to get back to the sky carrier. Who knows where they might be heading?_

He already knew the answer to that question. _The Landing Castle. Of course. There's no way that Prince Aleksander would abandon this place to destruction. I know him too well for that._

* * *

—Flashback _—_

" _I'm going in the first wave."_

 _Everyone looked at Alek like he was crazy. "You're the most valuable asset we have and you want us to risk you in the first wave?"_

" _We'll be able to optimize our chances if Asseylum and I go in different groups. By logic, it would be easier for Asseylum to go in the second group. As long as we have the scarecrows, the chances of me being hit are low. I've also asked Calm to outfit my Areion with a loadout meant to take more damage. I am not risking my sister in the first wave. And besides Inaho, I'm the best pilot we have. It's best for us to maximize our chances." Alek pointed out._

" _Hm. Very well. If you insist, we'll go with it."_

—Flashback End _—_

And that was how Alek found himself being Mustang 33 once again. Admittedly, free-falling was not something he really practiced in earnest, so he wasn't the grand expert on it. But then again, no one was an expert at it.

Alek was glad he asked Calm for the loadout, though it technically wasn't so much a loadout as it was just an extra weapon: a heavy barrel with armor plating that expanded outwards. At first glance, it wasn't particularly useful for taking more damage. Where it did excel though, was the fact that there were layers of armor that could expand outward to create a shield of sorts. It was one of Alek's contributions to the military, though it had a very limited role in combat, being meant only for sniper battles. And free-falling while avoiding damage.

As they descended, Alek noted the amount of bullets flying through the air, and was relieved to see that none of them were hitting their marks. Inko was still panicking though.

"Please don't let them hit me… Please don't let them hit me… Please don't let them hit me…" She kept chanting her little mantra.

The communication channel buzzed to life as Mustang 44 began speaking. "When you're that scared, you're more likely to get hit. Bullets are attracted to cowardice. Be confident, and the bullets will run from—" His kataphrakt exploded as bullets hit him.

"Mustang 44!"

Alek sighed. "Yeah, don't listen to his advice. Bullets are as likely to hit you regardless of if you're scared or confident. It's really all about how big of a target you make yourself. Smaller you are, tougher you are to hit. That's basically the gist of it."

As they started reaching the clouds, Alek adjusted his kataphrakt so that it was practically in a nosedive before activating the heavy barrel's armor plating. "Just stay right behind me and you'll be fine. I'm using Inaho as a guide for when we get ready to land."

Once Inaho accelerated though, Alek changed his tune. "Alright, maybe not. I'm not that crazy."

A bullet almost hit him, knocking off a portion of the armor plating that was on the heavy barrel and offsetting Alek's course a bit. He replaced the plating immediately while his kataphrakt kept falling. _A kataphrakt that can fly would be nice. Maybe I could commission someone to make one for me after all this is over._

"Alek! Are you alright?" Inko asked.

"I'm fine. Just give it a couple more seconds." He said.

The moment he broke through the clouds and saw the Landing Castle, he took a deep breath and located the AA turrets. Once he located the ones closest to them that still weren't destroyed, he took aim.

"Seek perfection with every shot." Alek muttered to himself as he began firing.

Inaho got more of the area cleared though. "Mustang 22, drop zone secured."

"Mustang 22, I have eyes on you. Approaching now." Yuki confirmed. "Don't do anything stupid, Nao-kun."

"The more I thinned out their AA guns the easier it would be for stragglers."

"Wait a second. Are you saying that you did that to help us?" Yuki asked.

Alek and Inaho frowned at the same time. "Communications are way too clear. This isn't right."

 _Especially given the fact that A: there's a blizzard, and B: There should be a ridiculous amount of jamming going on here._

As Mustang Platoon continued to clear the area, Inaho brought up a point of concern. "Where's Seylum?"

"I haven't gotten the signal yet." Yuki said.

Inko was the first one to spot the big problem. "Warrant Officer Kaizuka! Three o'clock!"

Yuki couldn't believe her eyes. "Is that… the Deucalion?"

Sure enough, the battleship that they had uncovered at Tanegashima was flying towards the Landing Castle.

Alek was extremely worried. "This wasn't part of the plan…"

"All units, scatter!" Yuki ordered.

They managed to make way for the Deucalion to crash-land into the castle, though that brought up another wave of worries from everyone.

 _What happened to them?_

* * *

 **Annnd chapter 11 is done. Chapter 12 shouldn't take that much longer, though I could be wrong. Admittedly, I may have already put work into chapters 13, 15, 17, 23 and 24, as well as the epilogue. It's helping me to organize the structure.**

 **Also, reviews would be nice. Helps me to figure things out as well as improve on certain points. You can also just express your opinions if you want.**

 **And I'm STILL trying to see if any of you have a good idea of who I should hook up Mizusaki with (the one that can't get dates).**


	12. Ignorance

**Giant battleship falls down and scares the shit out of everyone. Classic.**

 **Also, this might be the longest chapter for a while. Lots of stuff I want to get through.**

* * *

For a lack of better words, Alek was worried. Extremely worried. As in 'I might possibly have a mental breakdown' worried.

"The Deucalion? Why would they…" Inko wondered, almost as worried as Alek was.

"Did they have no choice but to make a frontal assault?" Inaho asked himself.

While Yuki tried to contact control, Inaho went to go open the back of the Deucalion, as he was the one that had a power assist on his kataphrakt. Once it was open, Yuki got out of her kataphrakt to find out how much damage was done to kataphrakt that held Asseylum in it.

A few moments later, they got the results. "Princess Asseylum confirmed alive."

Alek let go of a breath he had been holding, relieved to see that his sister was safe.

"Control to Mustang Platoon. Do you copy?" Lieutenant Marito's voice came over the comms.

"Lt. Marito!"

"Amifumi?"

"Is the Deucalion okay? Is everyone on the bridge okay? What about Nina and Calm? Are they okay?" Inko's worry was evident in her voice.

Marito's response was a bit slow. "Somehow. Well, maybe 'We're all ok' isn't quite honest. This might be more of a 'Don't worry, go on without us!' kind of situation."

"Sorry, Inko." Nina spoke up.

The comms buzzed again as Captain Magbaredge patched in. "Warrant Officer Kaizuka, Princess 1, continue your mission. Can you do that?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Marito let out a short laugh before continuing. "Amifumi, Audet, Kaizuka Junior. I want the three of you to cover Warrant Officer Kaizuka. Can you do that?"

"Roger that." Inko wiped off her tears.

While Alek was calm on the outside, he was utterly pissed off on the inside that his friends were hurt. He would make whoever attacked them pay.

"Warrant Officer Kaizuka, taking over as pilot. Princess 1, continuing mission."

As her kataphrakt exited the Deucalion, Calm came up to tend to the unconscious pilot. As he did so, he tried to cheer Inaho on. "Kick their asses for us!"

Inaho's face held the most determined expression seen since the war started. He would see this done. "Mustang 22, roger."

* * *

Asseylum stirred from where she was in the back of the kataphrakt.

"You awake?" A voice asked her. As she looked up, Yuki's face appeared from the pilot seat. "This is going to get a little bit rough. Hold on tight, highness."

"You are… Inaho's older sister."

"You don't seem to be hurt, but if I missed something, speak up." Yuki said.

Asseylum lost focus for a second before remembering something she wanted to ask. "What about Alek? Is he alright?"

"Right next to you, Asseylum." Her brother's voice came over the comms, signaling contact from the left side.

The princess turned to see an Areion on the monitor, sighing in relief. Something else occurred to her, though. "You hate us, don't you?"

Yuki turned to look at her, confused. "Huh?"

"The Versians who did this to Earth and took so many lives. You hate us, don't you?"

Yuki simply turned back to watch where she was going. It didn't look like Alek had anything to say about it. He was pondering the same thing, wondering if the people on Earth hated him for compromising the safety of so many people.

Inaho had something to say, though. "Seylum. What does it take to end a war? Do you know?"

Asseylum gave her answer without second thought. "Well, if both sides wish for peace and set aside their hatred…"

"No." Inaho's reply was short. "Warfare is nothing more than a means of negotiation between states. Wars break out even when there is not hatred. Territory, resources, or interests that are determined to own. Ideology, religion, pride. Wars are fought over these objectives all the time. Meaning that when those objectives are met, the war will end. That, or the war will end when human costs outweigh gains. Anger and hatred are nothing more than tools to tilt a war in your favor. I'm not interested in those emotions."

Asseylum's eyes watered. "Inaho…"

"So I wouldn't hate anyone just because they're Martian."

Alek, Inko, Yuki, and Asseylum's faces all broke into small smiles. At least until another voice was heard.

"Really? I would gladly hate a Terran for that fact alone."

A wave of missiles flew at the group as those words were uttered.

"Scatter!" They managed to avoid the missiles. What shocked Alek and Asseylum though was the kataphrakt that appeared.

"Saazbaum of the Vers' Orbital Knights' 37 Clans has arrived. Please make your peace, your Highnesses."

* * *

Count Saazbaum was feeling rather good about himself. After all, he had the prince and princess right where he wanted them.

"Count Saazbaum! It was you?" Asseylum was the first one to express it.

"You killed Count Cruhteo… didn't you?" Aleksander asked, horrified.

"An astute guess, Prince Aleksander. I shall also see to your end as well."

"If you're going to do so, I have only one question for you." Aleksander asked.

The count raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What is it?"

"Why do all this? Why set up my sister for assassination just to declare war on Earth?"

Count Saazbaum decided not to answer. "Even if I did tell you, it would make no difference. You will die today. I will have my revenge."

The comms were silent as one of the Terran kataphrakts took a step closer. "This has to do with what my father did, doesn't it? You must hate him. For what happened to you on Tanegashima. You lost someone close to you there, didn't you?"

Count Saazbaum winced. Prince Aleksander had hit him right where it hurt the most. "My betrothed. Orlane."

"I see." Aleksander said. "If that's the case, I have a simple proposal for you, Count Saazbaum."

"Surely you don't think I would be interested in anything you have to offer, do you, Your Highness? I am not willing to withdraw without spilling blood." Saazbaum spat.

"Which is why I'm making you this offer. If you are not willing to leave without spilling blood," Aleksander tossed down his rifle. "Then take mine."

Count Saazbaum didn't believe his ears. "What?"

"You blame my father, do you not? Then take away everything that my father did to cause Orlane's death. His life may be gone, but the reason he started the first war is not. Take my life. Right here, right now. Just leave them alone."

"Alek, no!" The count heard a scream over the comms from a girl.

"Don't be an idiot!" Another voice said.

"You would be willing to go so far?" Count Saazbaum asked.

"I would." Alek's face was completely serious.

* * *

Inko screamed at him. "Don't do this, Alek!"

"What if he doesn't hold to the offer after he kills you?" Yuki asked. "It would be pointless, then!"

"He won't stray outside his boundaries. He may look to achieve his ends through any mean possible, but he is still an honor-driven Orbital Knight. If he takes on an agreement, he is required to stay to its conditions." Alek said.

"You are certainly right about that, Prince Aleksander. I would withhold that much." Count Saazbaum replied.

Inko had tears running down her face. "But… why would you go so far?"

"If by my life or death I can protect you, I will. That is my duty as royalty. I protect those under me." Alek said.

"Still-"

"Inko, do you know what love is?" Alek asked.

Inko blinked. "What?"

"It's funny, really. We toss around the word like it's candy, but we never really set ourselves on a solid definition."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Inko asked, growing more and more frustrated by the second.

"I found a definition a while back that I took to heart. Put simply, I think love is when you are willing to value someone or something's existence above your own."

"Huh?"

"I love you, Inko. I have for years. Just as I love you, I love this planet. I love my friends. I love my family. I am willing to give up my life, if only it would save everyone's. That is why I am willing to do this."

Inko was left dumbstruck. Alek continued. "Sorry I couldn't tell you before. But seeing as I might die in the next few moments, I thought I should tell you straight up. Not leave you hints from my sketchbook."

"Touching as your motives are, Prince Aleksander, I will have to decline your offer." Count Saazbaum said, interrupting them. "My grudge is against all of the royal family. Not just your father. So long as the royal family persists, my hatred will not end."

Alek resisted the urge to curse. "Inaho, Inko, Yuki, get in. I'll hold him off."

"What, no! That's suicide." Yuki said.

"I agree. Taking him on by yourself is impractical. I'll help. The two of us can buy time to continue with the operation." Inaho said.

"Thanks, Inaho."

"Are you two crazy? We don't know the combat capabilities of that kataphrakt!"

"We don't need to win." Alek pulled out a rifle. "We just need to slow him down."

"You aren't planning to act as a human shield, are you?" Yuki asked.

"That's an ineffective way of buying time. Go, now." Inaho said.

"Inaho! Good hunting. You too, Alek." Asseylum said.

Alek blinked in surprise. _She mentioned Inaho first._ "Thanks."

* * *

As Inko and Yuki left, Count Saazbaum smirked. "I like your reckless courage, Prince Aleksander. As well as yours, warrior of Earth. But you will have no mercy from me!"

Saazbaum fired the missiles from his kataphrakt, forcing Inaho and Alek to back up. Inaho responded by firing rockets to intercept the missiles. As the projectiles exploded midair, Inaho changed his aim to Saazbaum's kataphrakt, forcing the count to take evasive action. Alek fired in bursts at the kataphrakt, hoping to take down one of its armaments, though it was to no avail.

 _Something's not right. I thought Saazbaum had a kataphrakt with much more advanced capabilities, but he's only been firing missiles so far. It doesn't make sense. He would have needed a much stronger kataphrakt to kill Count Cruhteo._

A moment later, Count Saazbaum's kataphrakt dropped its missile armaments, launching into the air. As it did, Alek noticed more aircrafts following it and came to an ugly conclusion. _You can't be serious._

"Be ready, Inaho. He's going to come down with significant upgrades. Emphasis on the word significant."

"How significant?"

"Probably three times bigger. And with more armaments. No clue what they'll be."

As the kataphrakt landed, Alek couldn't help but make the comparison between the headpiece and a samurai helmet. _Did Count Saazbaum get his hands on some Japanese manga or something? That's literally comic book material right there._

"Alek, that kataphrakt is four times bigger."

"Shut up, I was estimating."

"Behold, the Dioscuria!" Saazbaum announced.

 _On the bright side, I know the kataphrakt's name now._ Alek thought as he fired at it. Only to become severely disappointed as he saw a dimensional barrier take effect.

 _That's the exact same as the Nilokeras._ Alek thought to himself.

When the Dioscuria's hand turned upwards, a brilliant blue blade appeared, causing Alek to internally curse. _Great. He's also got the same special weapon the Argyre has. What's next? He can shoot his arms out as well?_

The comms crackled to life as more kataphrakts joined up to fight. "This is Oldenburg Leader. Standby for assist, Mustang 22, Mustang 33."

"No! Fall back!"

They ignored Inaho. Instead, they fired at the Dioscuria. Saazbaum responded by destroying the two kataphrakts closest to him before running and shooting his arm at another kataphrakt.

 _Dammit. I hate it when I'm right._

As the fist flew by and nearly hit Inaho, Alek took aim at the Dioscuria, firing at it in hopes of hitting its blind spot. What he got instead was a slightly different result.

 _The bullets aren't being absorbed… does that mean he can't use the fist and dimensional barrier at the same time?_ "Inaho!"

"Right!" The two of them fired at the Dioscuria simultaneously.

Saazbaum reattached the fist to his kataphrakt before reactivating the barrier, seeming to slow down a bit in response to their actions.

"So, any thoughts? Now that we know a weakness, it doesn't look like he's going to take down his barrier anytime soon." Alek said.

Inaho assessed the situation. "This is a problem. We can't just force him into the water like we did with that first kataphrakt. There's none nearby. And now that he knows that we know that particular weakness, he won't give us the chance to take advantage of it."

"Not to mention that he can probably activate the beam sword without having to take down the barrier, given that there's no radio transmission to be made and the part of the barrier that would need to be taken down is very minimal and protected by the beam." Alek said. "Our only chance at beating him is if we take down his barrier. But how would we force him to?"

As the two of them dodged a sword slash, Inaho continued analyzing the Dioscuria. "We know that the dimensional barrier blocks all forms of transmission, so he's probably using an aerial camera of some sort… Alek, do you have any smoke grenades?"

Alek began formulating a plan. "I have five of them. How many do you have?"

"I have five as well." Inaho said.

"Alright, here's the plan. We fire smoke grenades in the air, setting them to detonate just above the height of the Dioscuria. While he can't see, I'll make a break for the sniper that I dropped on the ground elsewhere. It should have enough power to it to destroy a camera. I doubt the cameras are made of anything sturdy enough to withstand a heavy barrel. From there, it's a matter of how long you can hold him off while I pick off the cameras. The more cameras we destroy, the more likely it is that he'll lower the barrier. He can't see otherwise."

"Got it." Inaho nodded.

"Alright, go!"

* * *

Count Saazbaum not pleased in the least to see the smoke grenades shot in the air, cutting off his vision.

 _Clever of the two of them. They know I have to use the aerial cameras because of the dimensional barrier. However, that's not good enough._

The smoke kept blocking off his vision, keeping him from being able to see where any of the kataphrakts were, so Count Saazbaum did the smart thing. He switched his Dioscuria into flight mode and shot into the air, dispersing the smoke.

 _And that's an end to that plan. What will you do now, Prince Aleksander?_

Once Count Saazbaum landed, he reactivated his dimensional barrier. _I'll take care of the orange kataphrakt first. He's more of a threat than the prince is at the moment._

* * *

Slaine was not having a good day. First, he was shot down by some UFE kataphrakts as he returned to the Landing Castle. Next thing he knew, he found himself on the Vers side of the fight. That was where his conflict lay.

 _Who am I fighting for? I went out to save Prince Aleksander and Princess Asseylum, only to find myself at odds with the UFE as well. Which side am I really on?_

The one thing that he had going for him was that apparently, he had the activation factor. Which was why he was able to activate the Tharsis. No clue as to how he got it to work though.

* * *

Inko did not expect to see Inaho fall through the roof of the Landing Castle. He did, somehow, taking her completely by surprise.

"Inaho? Where's Alek?" Inko panicked for a second.

"Still above." Inaho said, wincing as blood ran down his face.

As he did, the black kataphrakt from before suddenly appeared, smashing into the ground.

"Princess Asseylum. Your life, if you would please? I'll make sure to have your brother join you soon afterwards. It shouldn't take too long-"

The kataphrakt seemed to stop moving as if its vision was blocked.

A voice came over the comms. "Phew. Didn't think it would be that easy to take out the cameras. Nice job forcing him into a more enclosed space so that the cameras would get closer, Inaho. Made my job really easy."

"Thanks."

"Alek?" Inko asked.

"Guilty as charged. Has the Dioscuria dropped its dimensional barrier yet?" He asked.

"No, but I know where the weak spot is." Inaho said.

"Hold on, why didn't you shoot there before?"

"Because he never showed his back to us." Inaho fired his pistol, forcing Count Saazbaum to drop the dimensional barrier.

"Oh. Makes sense."

As the barrier went down, Saazbaum turned to Inaho with his fist raised, intent on striking him down.

"Run, Inaho!"

"No. I've been waiting for him to come close." Inaho aimed a little lower, triggering an explosive that brought the Dioscuria down to the ground.

Before it could get up, Inaho jumped on top of it, bringing a rifle down to shoot it in the head.

As he did, Alek flew down through the hole. He sighed in relief as he saw that Inaho had taken down the Dioscuria.

"What's the plan now?" He asked.

"There's an inspection passageway that we can use to get to the Aldnoah chamber by foot." Asseylum said.

"Hm. It'll probably be faster, seeing as we're kind of blocked off at the moment." Alek mused. "You think you can handle Saazbaum by yourself now, Inaho?"

"Absolutely. I'll catch up with you guys right after I finish him off." Inaho said.

Everyone got out of their kataphrakts except Inaho. "Good luck then." Alek said.

* * *

Slaine was following the comm transmissions to find Count Saazbaum. The noble didn't realize it, but since he had started talking, there had been a communication channel open between the Dioscuria and the Tharsis.

"Your kind could never understand. The envy and hatred towards Terrans that had been planted in us constantly tarnished our souls and robbed us of our ability to live as human beings! You, with your life of indolence in a land of plenty could never understand how we feel. The resentment at having that hatred ingrained in you…the sense of futility when you realize what was done…the regret of failing to protect the one you love… You could never understand!"

Slaine's mind was in turmoil as he heard those words. He wasn't even sure who was right and who was wrong anymore. Outside of trying to save the prince and princess, he didn't know why he was fighting. What was the point?

A sudden cry of agony permeated from Count Saazbaum, causing Slaine to pick up his pace. When he turned the corner, he found the Dioscuria on the ground, with an orange kataphrakt standing above it.

"Orange…" Slaine had never actually learned the name of the pilot that had helped him take down the Hellas, so he was restricted to calling him by his kataphrakt's color.

As the kataphrakt raised its left arm to smash the Dioscuria, Count Saazbaum's potential last words came through the channel.

"I will defeat all who hate… I will break this cycle of hatred!"

Slaine's eyes widened. _I can't let him die here._ "Stop!"

He lunged at the kataphrakt.

* * *

When the group finally got to the final door, Asseylum ran through to the Aldnoah drive.

"Alek, go with your sister. We can handle the people here." Yuki ordered.

Alek looked at them. "You sure?"

"We'll be fine. Go!" Inko said.

As they closed the door, Alek heard his sister start talking. "In the name of Asseylum Vers Allusia, I command you: Sleep!"

As the drive deactivated, Alek found himself breathing a sigh of relief. _At least the worst is—_

A pair of kataphrakts came crashing into the Aldnoah chamber, one orange, the other a familiar white.

 _And just my luck. I jinx it again._ Alek blinked. _Isn't that the Tharsis? I thought Count Cruhteo was dead…_

Asseylum ran over to the orange kataphrakt to open it up. "Inaho! Are you alright?"

Alek heard a voice. "Princess Asseylum!" He turned to see Slaine climbing down from the Tharsis.

"Slaine! How are you alive? I thought Count Saazbaum destroyed Castle Cruhteo."

Slaine looked down. "He spared me. He owed my father a debt for saving him."

"Doesn't really explain why you came through here with the Tharsis as well as Inaho."

"That's… harder to explain." Slaine admitted.

Alek sighed. "Well, just get down here. I think we can spare a few seconds."

It's amazing what can happen in the span of a few seconds. As Slaine climbed down, he heard three gunshots go off.

As Alek went down, right lung burning in pain, he saw Asseylum get shot as well before his world went black.

* * *

There had never been an easier set of shots in Count Saazbaum's life. As the prince and princess stood there, he took aim at them. While his hand was still sore and trembling from his injuries, he managed to hit both of them. His first bullet caught the prince in the lung, bringing him down instantly, while his next one caught the princess in a similar area. She turned to him, not letting go of the hand of the boy inside the orange kataphrakt.

She didn't hold his hand for much longer. Saazbaum wasn't exactly sure where the bullet hit, but the princess would undoubtedly die if the wound was untreated.

He didn't get any more chances as Slaine began unloading bullets into him.

As the next bullet dug into his body, he relaxed. _At the very least, I got my revenge on the royal family._

* * *

Inaho had only one concern at the moment: Seylum. Which was why, despite his injuries, he was trying to reach her.

She refused to let go of his hand, even when she was shot. That meant something to him. He wasn't sure what it meant to him, but it meant something.

As he crawled to her, memories replayed in his mind of all the times that they talked. He smiled upon remembering her blush when he first explained Rayleigh scattering to her.

He smiled when he remembered her expression upon seeing birds in person for the first time.

He smiled when he remembered her coming back from death.

He smiled. There was no doubting one fact. Seylum was a part of him. Something key to him.

As he reached out for her, he heard a gun click and voice speak to him. "Don't."

* * *

"That is far enough. Do not touch her highness, Orange."

Slaine didn't put a name to the emotion he was feeling, but he knew what it was.

Jealousy.

Orange had taken his place in protecting Princess Asseylum and Prince Aleksander. Him. A Terran who had only known the princess for a week, at most.

He had known Aleksander and Asseylum for much longer than any of the Terrans had. So why?

Why was Prince Aleksander so willing to trust them?

Why did Prince Aleksander send Slaine away simply to deliver a message?

Why, after all the dedication and loyalty he had shown to him?

For the first time, Slaine found himself angry with Aleksander.

Because of him, the war began.

Because of him, the war continued on. Despite the fact that he could have stopped it.

Because of him, Princess Asseylum was now on death's door.

When the pilot of the orange kataphrakt turned around to bear his gun on him, Slaine pulled the trigger, watching as the boy fell to the ground.

Having done that, he walked over to Count Saazbaum.

The noble looked at him, a smirk on his face. "Shoot me, Slaine."

Slaine ignored the count, taking a knee. "I have finished off the Terran soldier who has been a thorn in our side. I have made up my mind. Please forgive me for all the wrongs I have done you in the past and am sure to do in the future, Count Saazbaum." Slaine pointed the gun at him. "Many Terran soldiers have already breached the castle. Let's escape in the Tharsis. And take Princess Asseylum with us."

Count Saazbaum took a breath of surprise. "Not Prince Aleksander?" He asked.

"He will stay here. I have lost all my trust in him. He is no friend of mine anymore." Slaine said with a wavering face. Deep down, it still hurt him to say those words. "I am the only one who can save you now, Count. Will you die with your ambitions unrealized or choose to live with Princess Asseylum? Your decision, please."

* * *

Yuki ran in to the Aldnoah chamber. Alek and Asseylum were taking far too long, despite the fact that the Aldnoah drive had been deactivated ages ago.

She arrived in time to see a white kataphrakt escape through a hole. As she wondered what had happened, she heard Inko scream.

"Inaho! Alek!"

Yuki ran over to see Alek and her younger brother severely injured. Inaho had a gunshot wound to the head while Alek was bleeding profusely.

She placed her hand on Alek's neck. _There's barely a pulse… I need to bind the wound!_

Inaho, on the other hand, needed much more serious treatment. Inko and Yuki managed to treat them, but they needed to treat the wound.

Unbeknownst to them, Alek's heart had just stopped.

* * *

"Dr. Yagarai! You have to do something!" Yuki was frantic as she and Inko brought Alek and Inaho into the bridge of the Deucalion.

"Inaho? Alek?" Dr. Yagarai expressed his shock.

"Gunshot wound to the head for Inaho. Went through the temporal region via left eye socket. Alek took a bullet through the right lung, lost a lot of blood."

"We need to get back to the underground facility. They should have the tools necessary." Dr. Yagarai said.

"Then we need to liftoff now! Captain Magbaredge! Order the Deucalion to lift off now!"

The captain seemed to struggle for a moment before focusing on an object in front of them. Inko recognized it as the Aldnoah drive. There was only one problem: It was offline.

" _Aldnoah drives don't deactivate by themselves. The only way to deactivate them is if a member of the royal family shuts it down, it gets destroyed, or—"_

"-the heart of the person who activated it stops beating." Inko's knees gave way as she realized the meaning of the offline drive.

"We need to revive Alek, now!"

Dr. Yagarai shook his head. "There's no way. He's lost too much blood. We might be able to keep his heart pumping for a bit, but we can't revive him. Damn it! If only there was someone else with the activation factor."

 _Someone else with the activation factor?_ Inko thought.

Somehow, Inko managed to remember one other important piece of information.

" _There are a couple of ways to transfer the activation factor, but the main one I know of is willing transfusion of bodily fluid, whether it be saliva or blood."_

It was a gamble, but it was the only chance they had. Inko touched the Aldnoah drive.

To the shock of everyone, it started glowing.

"Amifumi… how?" The captain asked.

Inko shook her head. "It doesn't matter right now. We need to get back now."

* * *

They managed to get back in time to give Alek a transfusion and restart his heart. Both he and Inaho were stable at the moment.

About three days later, Inko was sitting in front of Alek's bed, watching his chest rise and fall. The doctors had managed to fix up his lung, which had been punctured by a bullet, so he could breathe normally now. After he woke up though, he would have to be kept for a couple months so he could fully recover.

Inko had mixed feelings about Alek staying here. On one hand, she was happy to see that he hadn't left. On the other hand, she didn't want to give him the news that his sister was missing.

There was one thing she did want to tell him though. She decided that now would be a good time.

"I love you too, Alek."

Alek stirred and slowly opened his eyes.

Inko's hands flew to her mouth. "Alek?"

Alek managed to pull his mouth into a slight smile. "Hey, Inko."

She gave him a hug. "Thank goodness! I was so worried!"

Alek frowned. "How long have I been out?"

Inko's expression turned a bit sour. "About three days."

Alek blinked. "That long, huh? Is my sister alright?"

Right to the question that she didn't want to answer. "She… went missing. We saw a white kataphrakt escape the Landing Castle. It must have taken her. We didn't find her body."

Alek seemed to register that information for a few moments before his hand suddenly punched outward, breaking a vase in rage.

Inko was shocked. "Alek!"

She stopped when she saw the tears in his eyes.

"All this time that I try to protect people… and I can't even save my own sister. I'm a disgrace. It's not just my sister either. It's so many others that could have lived. I could have gone with the sky carrier back on Tanegashima and used the audience chamber to contact the Emperor directly, but I didn't. I could have ended this war so long ago…"

Inko had no words for him.

* * *

"You're leaving already?" Rayet asked Alek.

The moment Alek had been discharged from the medical facilities, he had gone to the higher-ups to be reassigned. Rayet was the first one to find out, only because she had followed Alek in secret to find out what he was doing.

Alek sighed. "I can't stay here. I need to go out. The war isn't going to end anytime soon. Now that Asseylum and I are probably presumed dead, it's only going to escalate. And being on the same ship as that my sister was on is too painful right now. Maybe in the future, it'll be a possibility. But for now, I have to go."

Rayet seemed to take that information in. "What about Inko?"

It was no secret to anyone anymore that they had a special bond. While it couldn't outright be said that they were dating, they were definitely much closer than most friends out there. Rayet figured Inko would be hurt if she found out.

Alek shook his head. "Not anytime soon. I could have ended the war so long ago just by speaking with the Emperor, but I didn't. All because I wanted to stay with Inko a bit longer. I can't do that anymore. I can't let my personal desires get in the way of what needs to be done."

Rayet nodded in understanding. "So where will you go first?"

"There's this research facility where they've been working on improving kataphrakts. I'm headed there first to help them with some research. I get the feeling that they're about to make a breakthrough." Alek said. He turned to Rayet. "What about you? Have you found what you want to do?"

"Yeah. I'm going to fight. I can't stay around doing nothing anymore. The Deucalion is going to need all the hands it can use."

"Good luck to you, then. Also, could you do me a favor and give Inko a message? Tell her that none of this is her fault and that I'll be back."

"I'll do that."

"In that case, see you later." Alek said, getting in the shuttle.

* * *

 **Two days later…**

* * *

"Dr. Asplund, it's a pleasure to meet you." Alek extended his hand.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. So, how can you help me with my research?" The white-haired, lanky man asked.

Alek blinked in surprise. _Not what I was expecting._ "I was hoping you could tell me about what you've been developing here. I hear that it's the top of the line."

The doctor's gray eyes took on a crazy sheen. "Finally! Someone who appreciates genius! Well, I've been working for months on a kataphrakt with advanced technological capabilities. It's a brilliant masterpiece! Able to fly, as well as utilizing improvements of the current grappling hooks. Why, the flight system is marvelous! We've already tested it on a small scale and it works perfectly! Oh, and the weapons. So grand! Once we get them working on the large scale, no other weapons will rival it!"

Asplund suddenly slumped. "But there's a problem."

"Which is?" Alek asked.

"Well, we don't have a good enough energy source to make the kataphrakt efficient on a larger scale. This facility simply doesn't have that capability." An assistant said.

Alek smiled. "I think I can help with that."

"Really? What can you, a military bullets-for-brains man do to help us?" The doctor asked.

He changed his tune quickly when Alek pulled out a familiar looking device from the large pouch he had. "I-is that a—"

"Aldnoah drive? Yes. All the energy that you'll need." Alek said.

"Why, this is marvelous! Oh, I can feel the potential building up already! Ah, are you able to activate it?" Dr. Asplund asked nervously. "It's not exactly useful if it doesn't work."

Alek put his hand on the drive, which began to glow. "In the name of Aleksander Vers Allusia, I command you."

"Awaken, Aldnoah!"

* * *

 **That wraps up the first season, so to speak.**

 **One of the things I want to touch on is Alek's feeling of uselessness. As you know, the difference between this ending and canon is almost nonexistent. That is mainly because Alek didn't make the real smart choices that he should have. He won't be so naive anymore.**

 **Alek's presence is going to make a whole bunch of change in the next chapters, so be ready for that.**

 **The part where Alek gives his definition of love is actually taken from Isamu Fukui's Truancy. I got an advanced reading copy years ago and the words never left my brain.**

 **Brownie points to anyone who figures out the inspiration for Alek's kataphrakt (I've already decided what it's going to be). I already dropped a hint (kinda obvious, now that I think about it), so it's up to you guys to think of what it's going to be.**

 **Also, is Kaoru Mizusaki going to remain forever alone? Someone send her a man!**


	13. Preparations

**Timeline skip and all the fun stuff. We won't immediately go forward nineteen months though. A bit before that. Basically, there's going to be a timeskip and then a flashback of the timeskip (sue me, I know it sounds weird).**

 **Also, everyone on Vers presumes that Alek is dead at the hands of the UFE.**

 **Two weeks ago…**

* * *

In Beijing, Count Keteratesse was once again fighting off against the UFE kataphrakts in his personal kataphrakt, the Geryon.

As he destroyed another kataphrakt, he spoke derisively to the UFE soldiers around him. "Pointless. You send your troops to die again and again. When will you learn that you stand no chance? I will only say this one more time. Serve me or die."

What did surprise him was that the rest of the UFE kataphrakts started backing off.

"Huh?" All of a sudden, he noticed a communication channel open up.

"Count Keteratesse. I will only give you one chance. Surrender and I will spare you and every single man and woman in your landing castle." A male voice spoke over the channel. It seemed familiar to him for some reason, but he ignored that fact.

"Surrender? To the likes of you? Not a chance. Dozens of terran kataphrakts couldn't stop me, and you expect me to listen to one of you, who has about as much chance as the rest of you trash?"

"You seem to be under the impression that I am just like the rest of the terrans. Allow me to prove you wrong."

"What?" The count was unsettled. He had heard rumors of a terran kataphrakt that had singlehandedly eliminated multiple Vers kataphrakts without even receiving a single scratch. Five clans of the Orbital Knights in particular were intimidated by him, as he had left them leaderless before another count had absorbed them into their ruling. He was known only by the name 'White Death'.

All of a sudden, a white and gold kataphrakt rolled up in front of him. Unlike most kataphrakts though, this one was considerably short, standing at only around 12 meters (for comparison: The KG-7 Areion is 13.5m). At first glance, its armaments appeared to be a pair of swords and rifles. Two pairs of grappling hooks adorned its wrists and hips. Instead of the regular float stabilizers used by the UFE, the kataphrakt's legs had rollers. The strangest thing though, was that a lot of its armor almost seemed ornamental in appearance.

Keteratesse laughed. "Bwahaha! This is the White Death? The supposed terran kataphrakt that has struck fear into the hearts of five different clans of Orbital Knights? Ridiculous."

"Count Keteratesse, would you like to hear the four sins for which you are guilty?" The voice asked.

"I'm flattered, do go on." He said mockingly.

"First, the sin of trespassing on land that is not yours. Second, causing the death of millions. Third, the sin of pride, for thinking yourself above other men. Lastly and most importantly,"

A video channel suddenly opened up on the screen of the Geryon, showing a young blonde man with purple eyes. "You ignored a command from your prince to stand down from the fighting. A prince which you and the Orbital Knights are honor-bound to follow. You ignored it in favor of killing and forcing people into submission. All for personal gain! For that, I sentence you to death!"

"P-prince Aleksander! That's impossible! Please forgive me, sire! I would follow you wherever you went!" The count tried to bow, which was impossible inside a kataphrakt. Though he mainly did it out of fear instead of respect.

"Liar." Alek said.

"Milord?"

"Do you know why I spared those five clans that were absorbed by the other clans?"

"I-I'm sorry?"

"It's because they gave me information. Information telling me who followed Count Saazbaum."

"I-I don't understand. Count Saazbaum is a gracious man who saved the princess. Why would I not follow him?"

"Count Saazbaum is the man who shot my sister! All because he wanted a war! The Asseylum Vers Allusia that all of you claim to be following is a lie! A lie that you support merely because you want your war! For that, you will die!" With that, Alek cut off the communication and drew the pair of swords on the kataphrakt. The swords started glowing red.

Count Keteratesse began panicking. _How could he know about all of that? I can't let him spread this knowledge._ "Everyone! Fire on the white kataphrakt!"

It made no difference. At the end of the battle, there was a destroyed landing castle and a very dead Count Keteratesse. A white kataphrakt was seen flying away from the wreckage, green energy wings expanding from its back.

"This is Pegasus. Inform headquarters that Beijing is once again in our hands." Alek said. "What's my next assignment?"

"None for the moment, you're currently on standby at the mobile research facility for the next month, though you're there is word that you're going to be assigned to the Deucalion in a couple weeks. You'll be helping them there afterwards for as far as we know."

"Understood. I'll contact you later." Alek cut the connection.

"The Deucalion, huh?" _I wonder how Inko's doing._

* * *

 **One week ago…**

* * *

A short young boy looked over at the prisoners that had been acquired by the UFE. "Subjugation complete. Spain is now back under UFE control."

"Excellent. You'll be assigned to the Deucalion in a week. Pack whatever you have for the moment and get ready to move."

"I've already packed."

"Well, you're ahead of schedule then. Whenever you're ready to go." The connection was cut.

Inaho looked up at the sky. "The Deucalion, huh? It's been a while."

* * *

 **Now**

* * *

"Ever since I was young, I idolized Earth. Its blue seas, its blue skies. That world has the privilege of water, air and sunlight and is blessed with an abundance of life and natural resources. My brother, Aleksander Vers Allusia, idolized it as well. So much that he was willing to live on it just to feel what it was like. I wanted that as well. But then my eyes were opened to the truth. It is outrageous, how the Terrans live among that bounty without appreciating it. A foolish race that covets resources, destroys nature and is devoted to the pursuit of pleasure. We mustn't allow them to have their way with this precious world of Earth. They may have taken my brother's life, but I will NOT allow them to have their way any longer! I, Asseylum Vers Allusia, Princess Royal of the Vers Empire, praise and commend all those of the Orbital Knights who have died in the name of that noble cause!"

The broadcast started buzzing as connection was lost. Nina tried to hit it one more time to make it work, but to no avail.

"What's the point of watching that broadcast of theirs?" Rayet asked from where she was sunbathing.

Nina tried to get it to work still. "I'm curious, that's all. I wonder, what happened to the princess?"

"Who knows?" Inko said.

"I thought she was on Earth's side…"

"Hmm."

"Maybe she lost hope in there ever being a peaceful resolution. If there's fighting, it's natural that she would side with Mars. Hearing about a loved one's death can do that to people."

"Yeah, but Alek's alive and fighting with us." Nina pointed out.

"But she doesn't know that. They're probably withholding information from her, which is why she's acting like that."

Nina took a moment to think about it before talking to her best friend. "Hey, Inko!" When said best friend didn't respond, she tried again. "What is it, Inko?"

That got Inko's attention. "Huh? Oh, nothing. I was just thinking that this might be our last chance to relax."

"Yeah. We board the ship tomorrow and lift off the day after."

Rayet grabbed the small container with the food she brought. "You sure you're not thinking about him?" She asked, referring to Alek.

"It's not like that! Well, maybe a bit." She admitted. "And wondering about Inaho as well. It's been a while since all of us have been together."

The last time Inko had seen Alek was just before he had been discharged from the hospital. Rayet did good on her part to deliver Alek's message to Inko. While Inko had been hurt at first, she realized that it would be fine. She was absolutely certain that Alek would be back.

Inaho was more recent, seeing as the last time they had seen him was just under a year ago. While reports of Alek's actions were rather sparse, Inaho's were not. He did have the most experience fighting Martian kataphrakts, after all.

* * *

"Dammit, Asplund! I told you we had to get everything ready to move an hour ago!" Alek was trying very hard not to lose his temper as his personal mechanic/researcher finished eating.

"Well, I'm sorry, Alek. But that simply wasn't going to happen! Everything has to be in the right place. I can't just go messing up my own system!"

Alek was trying extremely hard not to lose his temper at the man who had built his kataphrakt. Sure, he had gotten used to his eccentricities ages ago, but it didn't help when they still needed to get things done. If not for the fact that Asplund and his team were the only ones who could maintain the kataphrakt, he would have ditched them long ago.

To make things worse, he had heard that the Deucalion was supposed to leave an hour after they got there. Given their current schedule, they would barely make it.

One of these days, Asplund was going to make him pop a vessel. Hopefully, he could teach Calm how to fix up the kataphrakt when he needed it so that he could ditch Asplund.

* * *

Lemrina Vers Envers was bored, for a lack of better words. It was almost a given, seeing as she was forced to stay in the moon base, as well as do nothing between making the occasional announcement or giving someone the activation factor. It was often a point where she envied her siblings. After all, they had much more liberty in their actions then she did. So when the doorbell rang, she welcomed the interaction.

"Enter." She said.

As the door opened, Count Saazbaum, Harklight, and Slaine entered. "Pardon the interruption. You seem to be in good spirits, Princess Lemrina." They bowed before her.

"I am weary, Count Saazbaum. How fares the world?" She asked.

"The invasion of South and North America are complete, and their takeover is underway. As for Eurasia and the Far East, the UFE counterattack continue due to the surrender of Landing Castles there. There are also concerning rumors of a UFE kataphrakt that has been a key figure in the surrender of the Far East."

"Will I be able to go down to Earth?" Lemrina asked. It only seemed fair, since her brother and sister went down there as well.

"We expect the UFE to be exhausted soon. When that happens, you, who bear the bloodline of the Emperor of Vers will be-"

"Silence!" Lemrina cut off Count Saazbaum.

The count's face softened. "Highness…"

Eddelrittuo tried to assist her. "Princess Lemrina."

"I have never been pleased with the blood flowing through my veins. On the contrary, I find it repugnant. Am I only being kept alive because of the value of my blood?" She asked. "To merely be a tool to awaken Aldnoah?"

Count Saazbaum closed his eyes. "My apologies."

"No, I understand." Lemrina said. "It was you who extended the hand of friendship to me, Count Saazbaum. Even if I curse my blood, I am grateful to you."

Count Saazbaum could not help but be amused by the princess, even if he didn't express it. For one thing, he found Princess Lemrina's very existence to be peculiar, as the former emperor Gilzeria had clearly been dedicated to his son Aleksander. It was curious, how Princess Lemrina's opinions were surprisingly similar to her late half-brother. After all, both of them had dislike for their heritage, albeit for different reasons.

"Slaine."

"Yes, highness. What is it?"

"Will you teach me about Earth again?" The princess asked.

"Gladly." Slaine smiled.

* * *

"Looks like we're going to be together for a while, huh?" Inko asked.

"Yeah." Nina agreed.

"I hope we make it back alive." Inko mused.

"Mm…"

"We're not going to die. We're going to beat the Martians. We'll beat them and restore peace on Earth. Period. We don't have time to die." Rayet said confidently.

At her words, Inko and Nina's faces took on smiles.

"I guess not." Inko said.

The alarm seemed to suggest otherwise. While it clearly was an emergency, Inko almost had a small laugh at what Alek would be thinking at this very moment.

 _Oh come on!_

* * *

Incidentally enough, that was exactly what Alek was thinking at the moment. While he was riding in the large truck with Asplund, they still had more than eighty kilometers to drive, which would most definitely take more than two hours at their current pace. Not to mention that an alarm had just sounded while they were on the road.

"Drive faster, Asplund! We need to hurry!"

"How many times have I told you to just call me Lewis? And I can't drive any faster. We're carrying too much stuff."

Alek cursed, before coming up with an idea. "Stop the truck."

"Huh? I thought you wanted to get there faster."

"Which is why I'm asking you to stop the truck so that I can get into the Pegasus and fly there. It'll definitely be way faster than your driving."

"Oh, fine. Insult my driving, why don't you?"

While Alek prepared the kataphrakt for launch, he tapped into the comms. "This is Pegasus, moving in to assist. What's the situation?"

"Audet? Good timing. How far out are you at the moment?" Darzana Magbaredge's voice came over the comms.

"About two minutes for startup then three minutes to safely reach the Deucalion. What are we facing?"

"We're facing the Frozen Elysium, Count Yacoym's kataphrakt."

Alek's brow furrowed for a moment as he thought about how to fight it. "Instruct the kataphrakts on site avoid getting into its range. Because of its entropy dilution, it'll sap all movement in molecules, which means that even the de-icers won't help."

"I'll make sure to relay the message. You should hurry, by the way. Ensign Kaizuka just got here."

"Not my fault that the guy who was driving the truck is a completely paranoid researcher with a tendency to drive in an overly cautious manner."

"Just get over here. The banter can wait." The captain ordered.

"Yes, ma'am." Alek sighed. "Pegasus, now launching!"

Alek made it in time to see a familiar orange kataphrakt in a field of flames, with the destroyed Elysium at its feet.

 _Oh come on! Asplund needs to up the energy output of the wings. It really isn't fast enough quite yet._

* * *

"Inaho! Are you alright?" Inko asked as he got down from his kataphrakt.

Inaho put his hand up in a snappy salute. "Ensign Inaho Kaizuka reporting for duty. Per orders from General Headquarters, I have been assigned to your ship along with Ensign Audet."

Inko had a light smile on her face. "Come on, what's with that? You never change, Inaho."

"Back at you, Inko. You're looking well."

"Wait a second, did you say Ensign Audet? Do you mean Alek?" Inko realized the second part of Inaho's report. "Where is he?"

Inaho pointed at the sky. "Right there."

Everyone looked up to see a white kataphrakt with energy wings starting to land.

* * *

"Damn, I'm late. Oh well, Inaho managed to deal with the Elysium, so it's alright, I guess. Still, what the hell would happen if Inaho wasn't here? I'm going to have a long talk with Asplund after this."

Alek landed his kataphrakt and got out. As he got out, he heard Inaho's voice.

"The KG-9 Pegasus. The only UFE kataphrakt to utilize an Aldnoah drive, it was given the designation KG-9 instead of KG-8 due to how much more advanced it was than the KG-7 Areion. Armament includes two railguns, two vibration blades, four offensive grappling hooks, as well as beams it can shoot from its energy wings. There is only one Pegasus in existence. The identity of the pilot is Alek Audet, otherwise known as Aleksander Vers Allusia, Crown Prince of Vers and current ally to the UFE." Inaho summarized.

Alek smiled. "You didn't need to pull out all that information, you know. It's not like I'm a stranger to any of you."

He suddenly received a slap to the face from Inko. "Ow! What was that for?"

Inko gave him a hug right after. "That's for leaving without saying anything to anyone!"

"Oh fine, I guess I deserved that." Alek sighed, returning the hug.

"That and much more abuse, honestly. It's not like Inko was the only one you left." Inaho pointed out.

"Alright, since when were you in favor of beating me up?" Alek demanded.

"I'm not. That's not to say that Calm, Nina, Yuki, as well as the rest of our schoolmates weren't."

"I'll make it up somehow." Alek promised. "After all, I did just get reassigned to the Deucalion."

Inko smiled at him from where she was holding him. "Welcome back, Alek."

Alek smiled. "It's good to be back."

* * *

Later, Alek was watching the announcement from Princess Asseylum when the answer to a question he had for while became more lucid. _It's pretty clear that whoever that person is, it isn't Asseylum. So who could it be? It's not like there's someone else out there that could even come close to mimicking a member of the royal family's speech. You'd have to be someone close to know how to mimic her. Maybe one of the nobles who we knew very well. But that limits the pool by a lot. Cruhteo is most definitely dead, Saazbaum has nowhere near the elegance necessary. So who could it be—_

Alek stopped his train of thought as he came to a conclusion that he didn't want to come to. _So regardless of the fact that she's a fake, I still have to deal with a member of the family. I guess it's her. After all, who else could convincingly sound like Asseylum? You have to be a member to understand it._

He didn't know her name, but he knew about her existence, if only because he had overheard Count Saazbaum talking about it very briefly before he had left for Earth. _So, it looks like we'll finally get to meet at last, unknown sister of mine._

* * *

 **I will be honest, I had most of this chapter fleshed out long before I hit chapter 12. It was merely a matter of seeing what I would need to change.**


	14. The Beautiful and the Damned

**In case it really isn't blindingly obvious yet, the Pegasus is based off the Lancelot Albion from Code Geass**

* * *

"Not only have you survived, but you have also taken command of our world. I am proud of you, Asseylum. If only your brother were here to see this. He would have been just as proud of you." Rayregalia Vers Rayvers said to his granddaughter.

Lemrina was not about to give herself away. "Thank you, grandfather."

"You seem to have grown stronger." The emperor observed.

"I have been through much. People tend to change as they gain experience."

Rayregalia nodded. "Yes. From the red sands of our world, I pray for your success in battle."

As the audience chamber dissolved and Lemrina was teleported back to the base, her eyes narrowed. _Aleksander, proud of me? He would probably be angry. You really don't know your own grandchildren, do you, grandfather? Even I know my family better and I've never even interacted with them._

* * *

Inko found herself in the hangar, looking for Alek. After a rather embarrassing visit to Inaho's room, she wanted to talk with someone that wouldn't point out her weight gain.

She found Alek looking over some data with a white-haired man she hadn't met before.

"Alek, I've told you already. If you want to install the shield, you have to be able to expand it. If it can't cover the entire kataphrakt, it's not a good enough defense."

"But we've already discussed this. Even if we can't have a full-body shield yet, we can still cover at least part of the Pegasus. Not to mention that high speed rotations should be sufficient to cover a large area."

"Fine, I'll get to it. By the way, we appear to have company."

Alek looked up from the datapad he was looking at. "Inko? What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk with someone. So, what are you doing now?" She asked.

"Just doing some maintenance on my kataphrakt. This is Dr. Lewis Asplund, my mechanic as well as the developer behind the Pegasus. He's a little eccentric." Alek waved to the white-haired man.

"I hardly think you're one to talk, Alek. I'll leave you two for the time being." Asplund said, leaving the area.

Alek turned off the datapad. "So what did you want to talk about?"

Inko looked at the Pegasus. It really didn't look all that much like the Areion. "So what are the specs on the Pegasus?"

Her boyfriend-but-not-actually-boyfriend did a midair 180 so he was upside down.

"Umm, what are you doing, Alek?" Inko was confused.

"Having fun with the lack of gravity. Floating around is pretty fun. You should try it sometime." Alek said.

 _Maybe when I'm actually wearing more than just a skirt. Would be embarrassing if it started flying up._ Inko thought to herself. "So how does the Pegasus work?"

"Well, the general idea is that the Pegasus' abilities are based off its Aldnoah drive. Asplund had been pining for an energy source that would be able to sustain all its capabilities before I brought along an Aldnoah drive. As for specifics, there's its main form of propulsion, the energy wing system, which allows it to travel at ridiculous speeds compared to other kataphrakts. Not to mention the fact that it's smaller so that there isn't as much wind drag. Then there's the weapons: The vibration swords, which, as the name suggests, vibrate at such a high frequency that they can cut through almost anything. There's also the railguns though it's probably more accurate to say that they're multi-purpose rifles that can switch between machine gun and long range snipers. The wings can shoot energy bolts as well, so even if the swords and rifles are broken, it's not weaponless. Finally, there's the grappling hooks, or as Asplund likes to call them, boosted grapplers, which are equipped with boosters to increase speed and vary trajectory."

"You said something about shields also?" Inko asked.

"The pet project we've been working on. Created in a similar way as the energy wings, but it projects shields that can reflect some projectiles instead of creating propulsion. Asplund and I have been trying to get it to work for a while. He's a perfectionist in that he wants everything to be at its full potential before he uses it. Personally, I think he's crazy, but he's still good at what he does."

"And you spent how long with this guy?"

Alek landed back on the ground. "Eighteen months. Not fun at all. Anything else you wanted to know?"

Inko decided to ask a more important question. "Inaho suggested that the Princess Asseylum we saw on screen might be an imposter."

"She is." Alek said bluntly. "I even have an idea of who it might be."

"Really?" Inko was curious. "Who?"

"My sister." Alek said.

Inko was confused. "Wait… so you're saying that the Asseylum we saw is an imposter, but it's still your sister? What?"

"Half-sister, if I'm right." Alek said, leaping off the floor again. "Before I came to Earth, I overheard Count Saazbaum talk about it very briefly with someone. Not sure who, though. All I know is that I have a half-sister that lives on the moon base, which I personally find kind of ironic. My father started the first Earth-Vers war for his firstborn son and then ends up having an indiscretion with some random woman on the moon during the war."

"Why didn't you ever meet her?" Inko asked. "Your half-sister?"

"Because she would have been the social outcast if she had come to Vers. Probably would be referred to as the 'bastard princess' or something like that. Vers puts a lot of pride on bloodline. If anything, the safest place for her would be either the moon base or one of the Landing Castles where she could live anonymously. Even Earth would have been safer for her, at least until the war started." Alek said as he landed.

"I see…"

"Did Inaho tell you about how he figured out that it was an imposter?" Alek asked.

Inko blushed at the question. "No… He just wanted to explain to me how he knew someone was telling a lie and used the recording as an example."

Alek was confused by the blush. "Huh?"

"Apparently, I've gained weight from stress eating." Inko looked down in embarrassment.

"Really? I can't tell the difference. Besides, we're only eighteen, so it'd make sense for us to grow a bit. I mean, I'm pretty sure I've grown a couple centimeters since last time we saw each other."

Inko took a glance. "I guess you've grown a bit."

At first, Alek had been less than half a head taller than her. Now, he was exactly half a head taller.

Alek was trying to stifle a bit of laughter though. Inko noticed it. "What?"

"Nothing. It's just that I'm still shorter than a lot of the Orbital Knights. Most of them are at least 10 cm taller than me. If I become emperor at this very moment, I'll end up being the shortest emperor on record."

"Wait, seriously?"

"Yep. Grandfather is still around 15 cm taller than me, and my father was at least that tall as well."

"Your kataphrakt is shorter than the Areion and you're the shortest prince ever. So does that mean people would remember your rule as the reign of Emperor Aleksander the Short?" Inko joked.

Alek laughed. "I prefer the term 'Vertically Challenged'. But that would still be a depressing legacy to leave behind. Anyway, lunch?"

"Sure!" Inko smiled.

She noticed that Alek had a sketchbook with him. "You're going to do more drawing?"

"Well, it is space, so I figured I could get a good picture of Earth from here. Maybe sketch out the Deucalion as well from my kataphrakt. All we need to do is find some free time." He took the opportunity to hug Inko and kiss her on the forehead. "I really have missed you, you know."

Inko returned it. "Same here. Hopefully you don't disappear for another year and a half again."

"Probably won't happen. I value not getting abused by everyone, thank you very much." Alek said as they began floating over to the door.

"Oh yeah, that." Inko was a slight bit embarrassed. "I'll try not to hit so hard next time."

* * *

Eddelrittuo was cleaning Asseylum's biotank when Slaine came in. "Slaine."

"Shouldn't you be with Princess Lemrina, Eddelrittuo?" The Terran asked as he walked in. When the handmaiden looked down, Slaine smiled. "It's alright. I won't tell anyone."

"I'm sorry."

"That reminds me, we saw that ship that you were talking about earlier." Slaine said.

"The Deucalion?!" Eddelrittuo was shocked.

Slaine nodded. "It looks like they were secretly repairing it. Reports say that it defeated Baron Yacoym and came up into space. We might be forced to fight them. Do you suppose that it would make Princess Asseylum sad?"

Eddelrittuo nodded. "I suppose Prince Aleksander would have been sad as well—"

"Prince Aleksander's opinions are of no matter to me." Slaine cut her off promptly.

The handmaiden had forgotten that Slaine had developed a dislike for the prince over the last year and a half. "I'm sorry." She turned to look at Asseylum. "I wonder when she will wake up… What if she never…"

"Don't worry." Slaine said with a slight smile. "We will see her smile again. I know it."

Just outside, Lemrina had finished listening in on the conversation. _Am I just a temporary replacement for my sister, then? Outside of my activation factor, I really have no value…_

As she wheeled away, she wondered how much Asseylum would hate Slaine if she knew that he had left her brother to die on Earth.

* * *

"Audet, I need to talk to you." Captain Magbaredge appeared as he finished lunch.

Alek turned to Inko. "Talk to you later, alright?"

"Sure!"

"So what is it?" He asked the captain once they got to a safer area.

"I need you to deactivate the Aldnoah drive and then reactivate it."

Alek blinked. "Why? It's not going to make a difference. It's still tied to my life, after all."

"Actually, it's not." The captain said.

"Huh?"

"It's actually tied to Amifumi's life right now."

It took a moment for Alek to understand what that meant. "You're joking."

"I'm not. You can even ask her, if you want."

"You're telling me that somehow you managed to transfer the life bond of the Aldnoah drive from me to Inko without me knowing?"

"When we found you on the Landing Castle, your heart had just stopped. Amifumi was the one who activated the Aldnoah drive."

"But how did she get the activation fac-" He paused. "Oh. That actually makes sense." Alek remembered the kiss, which caused his face to turn red a bit. _To think that kiss actually saved my life. Talk about a lucky break._

"So, can you do it now?" The captain asked.

Alek shook his head. "If I did it now, it would be too risky. I could end up undoing the airtight seals on the Deucalion, which would probably kill everyone. It would be best for us to wait until we got back down to Earth to reactivate it. If you want, I can even give you or someone else on the bridge activation rights later on."

"How would we do that?"

"Blood transfusion. I am _not_ kissing more people. Don't worry, my blood type is O, so nothing bad would happen. You don't even need that much either, so it shouldn't take too long."

The captain forced down a small smile. "I see. But what about during the upcoming battle? If Amifumi dies, the Deucalion goes down."

"Leave it to me. I'll keep her safe. I swear it on my honor as crown prince." Aleksander said.

"I see. I'll leave it to you, then." The captain said, leaving.

Alek ran into Inko as he was about to walk back to the cafeteria. "Alright, how much did you hear?"

"All of it." Inko admitted. "You're not going to keep me from fighting, are you?"

"Not a chance. You'd just beat me up if I did."

"I would not!"

"Alright, you'd probably slap me. Happy?"

"I guess that's an improvement…"

* * *

When Slaine found that the Tharsis had been deactivated, he looked around for the source of the problem. It wasn't that hard, seeing as there was only one person who could deactivate an Aldnoah drive.

"Princess Lemrina." He floated down to her.

Lemrina, who was leaning against the wall, tilted her head. "Is something the matter, Slaine?"

"Why have you deactivated the Tharsis?" Slaine asked.

"Whatever are you talking about?" Lemrina pushed off the wall and went the other direction, feigning innocence.

Slaine was reminded of a certain individual with a similar air. _I'm beginning to think that she and Aleksander have this talent for irritating people when they want to. Princess Asseylum doesn't seem to have that ability._ "The only one here who can forcibly deactivate Aldnoah is Your Highness."

"Possibly." Lemrina kept going until Slaine cut off her path.

"Please activate the Aldnoah."

"No."

"Please."

Lemrina's face turned into a smirk. "Perhaps you should ask my sister?"

That got a visible reaction from Slaine. The princess continued. "It has always struck me as odd. How could you, a Terran, operate the Tharsis? I'm sure she would be happy to know that you still love her in spite of her condition. Or she might hate you for being the person that left my brother on Earth to die." Slaine flinched at that statement. "Though the three of us share a father, no one pays me any heed because we have different mothers."

"That's not true at all. We all admire you, Princess Lemrina."

"Liar."

"It is no lie!"

"It is. It's not me you admire. It's my activation factor. Isn't that why you came to me?" She did a twirl. "Is Aldnoah so important to you? Am I my sister's replacement?"

When Slaine failed to answer, Lemrina straightened up. "I knew it. I am." She narrowed her eyes. "I hate you."

The Terran hesitated for a moment, choosing his words wisely. "Princess Lemrina… your brother was the only friend I ever had on Vers. When my father died, I lost one of my protectors. When your brother left, I lost my other one. For the longest time, I was looked down upon for being a Terran. I still am, from time to time. The day your brother died, I lost my only friend."

He took a bow. "I will not say I understand your hardships. But I, too, have known cruel treatment due to my birth. I can understand your suffering, if only some small portion of it. You do have my heartfelt admiration, Princess Lemrina."

Lemrina took a moment to consider his words before making a decision. "Lift your eyes, Slaine."

When he did, Lemrina took him by surprise, kissing him on the mouth before backing up. "Now, activate it yourself."

Slaine bowed his head. "You have my thanks."

Lemrina smiled. "Good hunting, Sir Slaine Troyard."

As they left, Lemrina went to Asseylum's biotank. "You can keep the memories of our brother. But everything else that was yours, I will take on as my own. So rest easy, dear sister. And dearest brother, you can rest easy in your grave, wherever it may be."

* * *

Alek was already changing into his spacesuit when he heard the alarm. He sighed. _Just my luck. I wanted to go out in the Pegasus and get a good picture of Earth so I could do some sketching, and then this happens. Why couldn't they wait another two days or something?_

He met up with Inaho, Inko and Rayet right outside the hangar before going in. His Pegasus was at the very end of the hangar, so he had to travel the farthest. "Asplund, did you install the shields yet?"

"Give it a couple minutes. I'm still tuning it. Just got back from eating."

"You mean you've barely started? We're about to go into battle! Why did you wait so long?"

"I like raising the tension of a situation."

Thankfully enough, nothing happened during the time that Asplund took to install the shields, so Alek launched without too much trouble.

"Pegasus, in position."

"Did you have a problem starting up your kataphrakt?" Inko asked.

"Asplund decided to wait until the last minute to install the shields. Said he wanted to raise the tension of the situation." Alek grumbled, hefting a rifle. "One of these days I'm going to have him teach someone how to fix up the Pegasus and then I'm going to abandon him."

"Save that for after the battle. They're coming now." Rayet said.

As the Stygis fighters came flying in, everyone opened fire. On the upside, none of them got hit. On the downside, none of the enemy got hit either. Alek made the analysis pretty quickly. _The bullets are affected by the gravity of all the chunks of debris in orbit. Normally, if we were on Earth, the planet's gravity would be a huge enough factor that all other factors would be negligible. But here, we have to take into consideration all the other factors. While the rifle on the Pegasus is much more powerful than the traditional UFE guns, it still has to deal with the same effects of gravity. It just curves less. The energy wing's bolts wouldn't be affected, but they're meant for shorter, concentrated attacks or wider, large groups—_

Alek stopped himself. "I'm an idiot."

He fired out bolts from the energy wings. It wasn't completely successful, but he managed to take down a couple Stygis fighters in the chaos. However, it was nothing compared to what Inaho pulled off, hitting every single fighter he aimed for.

"That analytical engine is literally the ultimate aiming tool." Alek sighed. "Guess my marksmanship is no longer the best. Pity."

* * *

There were two things putting stress on Count Saazbaum at the moment. One was the decimation of the Stygis squadrons before they even got in range of the UFE base. The other was the fact that there appeared to be two kataphrakts doing all that damage.

"Get a zoom-in on the two kataphrakts. We need to know what we're dealing with." Count Saazbaum ordered.

When they got the images, Saazbaum's eyes widened. "Impossible." He muttered under his breath, recognizing the orange kataphrakt.

"Is that the White Death?" Harklight asked, indicating the other image.

Saazbaum took a look at the white/gold kataphrakt. "It must be. None of the other UFE kataphrakts look like that. But how is it so powerful?"

For the count, the bigger concern was the orange kataphrakt. His gut told him that there was only one person it could be.

 _Yet he's supposed to have died during that battle in Russia. Is it possible that Slaine missed his brain?_ Saazbaum wondered.

He focused on the white kataphrakt, which had begun to move at high speeds, taking out fighter after fighter. _And who could that pilot be? The reaction time required to make such sharp moves is unbelievable. The casualty count for this battle may be much higher than I thought._

A sudden explosion nearby took him by surprise.

"We lost one of our large transports to the white kataphrakt!" A pilot shouted behind him.

Saazbaum's brow furrowed. _It couldn't be Prince Aleksander, could it? No. One person surviving is possible. The prince should be dead. They wouldn't have had the treatment for him in time._

As they escaped the firing zone, Saazbaum let out a bit of air he had been building up, before another concern hit him. "Where is Slaine?"

* * *

Slaine was not having a good day. First was the discovery that Inaho Kaizuka was still alive. He had been sure that the shot was fatal, yet he had engaged the orange kataphrakt in battle.

The second was the white kataphrakt chasing him. He remembered reports of the White Death, but he had no idea that it was on par, if not better, than a large majority of Vers kataphrakts. He didn't even have an opportunity to rest as it continued chasing him, even destroying one of the transports in its path.

 _That firepower is ridiculous. And where did they find such a pilot? Had it been an average pilot, it would have been only somewhat difficult to fight. But the shields as well as this pilot's ability are beyond anything we expected._

Slaine turned the Tharsis around again to fire at the kataphrakt, it raised the shields along its arm and began spinning them. What shocked Slaine though, was that the shields suddenly fizzled out and the arms received damage. The white kataphrakt seemed to back off at this and fly away.

As it did, Slaine breathed a sigh of relief, going over the damage done to the Tharsis. _Arm gun, lost. Leg, significant structural damage. Pieces of the shoulder are chipped off as well. What kind of monster did the Terrans develop?_

For the first time in a while, Slaine was afraid.

* * *

 _Oh come on!_

Alek was frustrated. He had Slaine right where he wanted him. And then the shields fizzled out, causing significant damage to the Pegasus when the Tharsis hit it.

Now he knew though. He could take down Slaine if he needed to. His comms fizzled to life.

"Alek! Are you alright?" Inko's voice came over the channel.

"I'm fine. Just damaged the Pegasus a bit."

"You damaged the Pegasus?!" Asplund's voice was almost hysterical. "How could you damage my baby?"

"For you information, Asplund, the shields went down because of your last minute installation of them. I'm expecting you to make the installations well before battle next time." Alek hissed.

Cutting off the communications, Alek flew back to Trident Base. _Next time I see you, Slaine, I'm going to capture you and make you explain yourself._

* * *

 **And that's an end to the chapter.**

 **For the most part, the Pegasus is based off most of the Albion's features, with the exception of the Blaze Luminous shielding (prototype was used) and the VARIS rifle.**

 **And yes, Asplund is somewhat based off Lloyd Asplund, one of the most socially inept persons to exist in anime.**


	15. Resolve

**So we're off into the battle. And before you ask, Saazbaum's death will not be at Slaine's hands this time.**

* * *

After getting the Tharsis repaired, Slaine flew out to fire his shots in a cluster so he could utilize them in the upcoming battle. When he got back, he was instantly inconvenienced by a pair of counts.

"Ah, I thought I smelled something. It appears a dog has snuck aboard." The older count said.

"A rather grubby one, at that." The younger one twirled his hair.

"What are you doing here?"

Slaine found it rather irksome, but he knew how to play to their game, so he and Harklight got to the platform and bowed to them. "Good day, Count Barouhcruz, Count Marylcian. I rushed here that I might join in the battle as well."

"Terran dog…"

"Mind your tongue." Marylcian made to hit Slaine with the sheath of his sword when it was intercepted by Count Saazbaum. The Count had incredible arm strength to say the least, blocking a hit like that.

"Slaine Troyard is here as my vassal. If he has given some offense, I offer my apologies. However, if this treatment is unwarranted, Count Marylcian, it will not go well for you."

Marylcian backed off as Count Barouhcruz tried to understand Count Saazbaum. "If this Terran were merely your pet, it would be eccentric, but tolerable. But to appoint him as a knight? Is that not taking your game too far?"

Saazbaum was unmoving. "Count Barouhcruz, it is not your place to offer opinions regarding my vassals. Besides, we will have need of him in the upcoming battle. The White Death as appeared at the Terran base, and to have our strength compromised even before the battle begins is dangerous."

"Perhaps, but him fighting alongside us is another matter entirely! One cannot take to the field of battle with someone who might turn traitor at any moment!" Marylcian was impassionate.

Slaine decided to take a page from Aleksander's book at this moment. "If that is your concern, please strike me down right here. You are correct. If I go into battle with you, it might be me who is very well attacked from behind."

When Marylcian drew out his sword in anger at the suggestion, Slaine only had a thought. _Maybe I went a little bit too far. Aleksander seems to have rubbed off on me._

At least until Count Saazbaum interfered. "Men! Hear me, all of you! By the grace of the Emperor of Vers, I name Slaine Troyard my son right here and now. All of you here are my witnesses."

Now that was not what Slaine was expecting. Him? Son to Count Saazbaum? He wasn't sure whether it was a wholehearted feeling or a plan of his.

"Milord Saazbaum…"

"Rise, Slaine. From this day forth, you are my son. Will you raise a hand in protest to him even now, Count Marylcian?"

The count put his sword back in its sheath before answering. "If you are prepared to go to such lengths, so be it. But if his behavior is the least bit suspicious, I will put him down without mercy."

When they left, Slaine turned to Count Saazbaum before bowing. "Forgive me. I have put you in an awkward position."

"It is fine. I had decided to do this long ago." Upon Slaine's startled expression, he explained. "I, too, take to the field of battle. I must have a successor just in case. From now on, think of me as your father."

As Slaine bowed, he could only feel the guilt wrap around him, knowing that he was planning the count's death.

* * *

Alek was running through simulations on the Pegasus when he got another visitor. He heard voices just outside while he ran through the simulation.

"I'm sorry, but I need to borrow Alek for a bit. We need to discuss a few things." Inaho said.

"Hmm. I suppose a couple minutes of not practicing wouldn't make a difference for him. Very well."

Alek got out of the kataphrakt. "Asplund, you're not my supervisor or my boss. Why are you acting like one?"

Asplund sighed. "You're annoying as always, Alek."

"Coming from you, that word has no meaning. I'll be back later to run simulations."

Inaho took Alek over to his room so they could talk in private. "Inko says you have a good idea of who the imposter is."

Alek nodded. "I'm almost completely certain that it's my half-sister. Don't know who she is, but I do know that she exists and that she has never been to Vers. At least not where I've seen her."

"Do you have any idea why she would work with the people that shot you and Seylum?"

 _Seylum? You're still stuck on that name?_ "I have an inkling of an idea. If I were to guess, she resents the two of us. You could say that she's the princess stuck in a tall tower, never able to leave or experience anything good. Asseylum and I were never restricted like that because we were legitimate heirs to the throne."

Inaho frowned. "I see."

"If anything, I think she's happy that her two siblings are dead. Gives her free pass to the throne."

"No. Seylum is still alive." Inaho said.

Alek's eyes narrowed. "How would you know that?"

"I…" Inaho paused for a moment. "I don't have any actual form of proof I can show you, but I just know that she's alive. Why would they take her body and keep using the image?"

"Because she was popular with the people of Vers. She's pretty much the figurehead that my father was more than fifteen years ago. It's more likely that she's dead, honestly." Alek said.

"So you think we should just give up on the possibility that she might be alive? What kind of brother are you?" Inaho asked in a dangerously low voice.

Alek could sense the anger building up in him. He himself was close to snapping as well. "I want to believe that she had a chance of surviving, Inaho. I really do. It's just that I can't let my emotions get in the way of what I have to do anymore. I could have ended the war a long time ago and I didn't, simply because I let my emotions get in my way. I let my desire to stay on Earth impede me."

"That doesn't mean you should just give up on it." Inaho argued.

Alek paused for a second. _This isn't like Inaho. He never gets this passionate about anything. It couldn't be, could it?_ "Inaho, can I ask you one question?"

When Inaho didn't say anything, he continued. "Do you love Asseylum?"

There was a visible shift in Inaho's expression, as he took a while to respond. "I guess I do. I didn't even know what I was feeling until now."

Alek's expression changed. "I see… if you're not willing to give up, then I won't either. I'll help you find her. Promise."

"Thanks, Alek." Inaho's face changed into a small smile.

 _Inaho just smiled. Is the apocalypse nigh?_ "You saved my sister's life. I owe you at least that much."

As Alek left, he couldn't help but think about how Inaho seemed more open than before. _I guess my sister had a larger impact on him than I thought._

* * *

Lemrina turned to her sister's handmaiden. "It's almost time. Who do you think will win, Eddelrittuo?"

Eddelrittuo's response was almost pitifully standard. "Th-the glorious Vers Imperial Forces will, of course!"

 _Spoken like a person who doesn't want to express her opinion simply because the person talking to her is royalty._ Lemrina thought to herself. "Oh? Doesn't that trouble you? You have friends onboard a UFE ship, don't you?"

Eddelrittuo seemed rather panicky. "Perish the thought! Friends on Earth?"

 _Yet I have no doubt that Aleksander had friends on Earth during his seven years there. It seems a slight bit surprising that you didn't make friends with at least one of them, Eddelrittuo._ "Of course, let's have a wager, then."

"A wager?" Eddelrittuo asked.

"Yes. Let's see… if the Vers Empire wins, I bet… hmm. My sister's life?"

Eddelrittuo's expression looked scared at the thought. Lemrina calmed her down. "I'm kidding."

 _I wonder what my sister is thinking of right now. Is my brother watching from above as well?_

* * *

Alek was floating around the halls when he heard some rude words tossed out. He turned the corner to see two men poking fun at Inko and Rayet.

"Hey, it's Team Deucalion!"

"So you're the Aldnoah unit that everyone's been talking about, huh?"

"I hear there are Martians in your ranks."

"Don't get in our way, little ladies."

Alek decided to turn the tables on them. As he floated past them, he flicked one of them on the nose. "I would be worried if they didn't get in your way, you know. I mean, common courtesy states that we should keep suicidal people from dying. And quite frankly, that's what I see when I look at you."

That pissed them off. "How dare you! We're just as skilled as Mustang Platoon, if not better!"

"Really? Which platoon are you guys?" Alek asked, intentionally looking bored as hell.

"Rhinelander."

"Rhinelander squad… huh. That's a bit disappointing."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Well, I checked up on all the kataphrakt simulation scores when I got here. It never hurts to know what to expect from your allies, after all. And quite frankly, you guys are kind of around average. Granted, your movement is pretty good, but you lack the teamwork that Mustang Platoon has. Not to mention that everyone on Mustang Platoon is a top-scoring pilot. And one of them has only been piloting for around a year." Alek had a smirk on his face. "I think you owe some apologies."

"That gives you no right to talk down on us? Who are you, even?"

Alek's smirk almost turned into a grin. "Who, me? I'm the pilot of the Pegasus, as well as the guy who trained most of the current members of Mustang Platoon. So who are you guys again?"

He didn't give them time to respond, floating off after Inko and Rayet, who he had seen just turn the corner. When he got there, he saw Nina was there as well.

"So, where are you guys headed?" Alek asked.

"Did you really have to antagonize them?" Inko asked.

Alek shrugged. "They had it coming for insulting you two. One of you do me a favor and save their lives, would you? I'm in the mood to rub it in their face."

Inko sighed. Some things simply didn't seem to change about Alek. In particular, his ability to irritate people that he thought deserved it. He usually targeted bullies, though occasionally he would irritate Calm or Okisuke because he enjoyed getting a rise out of them.

"You'll apologize to them later, won't you?" She asked.

"Probably. But only after they apologize to you two." Alek said. "There was no reason for them to say what they did."

* * *

When the battle was about to commence, Inko was surprised to see that the Pegasus wasn't following the rest of them.

"You're not going through the launch tubes?"

"The Pegasus' smaller size means that it can't utilize it. Shouldn't take me too long to catch up, though. Around fifteen seconds at most." Alek said.

"Right. I'll see you there."

They finally launched, with umbrella shields set up so that they could get through the debris without trouble. Alek joined them a moment later.

The Martian fighters appeared in the distance, opening fire.

"Attack incoming!"

"Hold your fire! They can't hit us in this wind. Hit them when they get close!"

Inko started muttering to herself. "Hit them when they get close… Hit them when they get close…"

"Inko, we've been over this before." Alek said.

"Sorry, it helps me focus."

She didn't focus for that long, as the shield that was protecting her got destroyed by gunfire.

"My umbrella's hit!"

"Mustang 11!"

Inko navigated the kataphrakt to try to avoid getting hit. Only things was, debris was extremely hard to dodge. "I'm fine, but this debris isn't. I can't get a clear shot with all this shaking."

"I'll clear it out. Focus on aiming for now." Alek's voice came over the comms.

A moment later, Inko saw the Pegasus fly in front of her with shields activated and rotating, which cleared out the debris in her way.

As the Pegasus finished its run, it flew back to right by Inko. "Better?"

"Yeah, thanks."

A familiar orange kataphrakt flew by suddenly, shooting at Martian fighters as it went and not missing a single shot.

Alek and Inko voiced their thoughts at the same time. "Inaho?"

"Why are you going ahead without your umbrella?"

"It's just a drizzle. I don't need it." Inaho was quick to reply.

"Stop pulling crazy stunts, damn it."

"I wouldn't be able to use it in a dogfight, anyway." He said.

"He's not wrong." Alek pointed out.

"Oh come on, I thought you were on my side!"

"I technically am. Incoming!" Alek began firing at the Stygis fighters. Inko followed suit.

The two of them went on for a while until shooting down fighters until they got an order from the Deucalion.

"Attention all platoons! Get clear of our line of fire!" Captain Magbaredge ordered.

Inko nodded before looking for her fellow platoon members. "Rayet!"

A buzz on the comms went off. "This is Rhinelander 22! I've got one on my six!"

Alek was about to go assist when he heard Rayet reply. "Roger. Mustang 22, moving to assist."

One confirmed kill later, Alek was resisting the urge to grin.

"Quit it. You can rub it in his face later." Inko said.

Alek nodded. "Right." He took his rifles and aimed at the Martian outpost, Marineros Base. "Pegasus, now firing."

He timed his shots to work with the Deucalion's, feeling some satisfaction when he saw the base take some hits.

"Marineros Base now pulling away. All units, disengage!"

Alek pulled back when he heard Inko try to contact Inaho. "Inaho, we've been ordered to pull back. Inaho!"

"I'll go get him." Alek said. "Pull back with everyone else."

"I'm going with you." Inko said.

"Inko, we don't have time to argue and it's likely that Inaho's fighting Slaine as well as another kataphrakt. Pull back. I'd be alright with you going if the Deucalion's Aldnoah drive wasn't tied to your life, but it is right now. We can't take risks."

Inko relented. "Stay safe, alright?"

"Definitely." Alek shot off to Inaho's location.

* * *

Inaho was not feeling the love. Just as he managed to damage the Tharsis, the Dioscuria appeared. Thankfully, Alek arrived just in time to even the field out.

"Are you alright, Inaho?"

"I'm fine."

"Good. I'll handle this. You go back for now." Alek said.

"I thought our orders were to withdraw. You aren't coming with me?"

Alek's eyes narrowed. "I have to settle things with him."

"In that case, I shall assist you." Inaho said.

"If you insist. Keep Slaine busy. I'll come to assist once I take down Count Saazbaum."

* * *

Count Saazbaum narrowed his eyes at the kataphrakt that floated before him. _To think that the first kataphrakt I fight when the Dioscuria gets rebuilt is the White Death. What kind of monster is in that cockpit?_

He had no more time for thoughts, as the kataphrakt's wings suddenly flared shooting out energy bolts at the Dioscuria. The count reacted by activating the dimensional barrier, using the cameras to keep track of the kataphrakt. To his complete surprise, the kataphrakt was nowhere in sight when the cameras came up.

A sudden shot to the left side of the Dioscuria told him where the kataphrakt was as it flew by. Fortunately for the count, the dimensional barrier was holding strong.

 _As long as the pilot doesn't find the weak point, he won't be able to deal meaningful damage to the Dioscuria._

Saazbaum activated the beam sword, intending to slice through the kataphrakt as it came around again. The White Death dodged the strike firing off more energy bolts at the Dioscuria, which did no damage.

"What is he trying to do? It's not like his attacks are having any effect on the Dioscuria."

* * *

Alek weaved around the Dioscuria, trying to find the weak spot. _Figures that he wouldn't put it in the front. Too much chance of it being hit. Maybe the sides._

He checked the diagram of the Dioscuria that he was using to keep track of the spots he tried already. The graph indicated that the sides had already been tested out. _So in other words, the back. The only problem is actually hitting the back. The Dioscuria is deceptively fast at rotating. But then again, the Pegasus is faster. I just need to make sure to avoid overshooting._

Alek flew the Pegasus to a good range from the Dioscuria when he suddenly noticed a grappling hook from Inaho's kataphrakt coming his way. He managed to catch it. Inaho used the opportunity to pull himself away as a high-speed cluster of bullets flew around.

"Phew. Thanks, Alek. I almost got caught in that. I can go after Slaine still."

"Just hold on for a moment. I'm about to try something and I don't want you getting caught in it. Once I disable the barrier, go after Slaine."

"Alright."

Alek launched the Pegasus at much faster than before, shooting right past the Dioscuria. He took a second to stop the flight path and began firing at the backside of the Dioscuria with a high cluster of energy bolts. Unlike the energy bolts before, these ones were much weaker, but covered a greater area. Which was what finally gave Alek sight of the Dioscuria's weak point.

The moment the dimensional barrier went down, Alek charged in, switching the railguns for the vibration sword and cutting through the legs of the Dioscuria before transitioning into an upward sweep that cut through the boosters. With no method of propulsion now, Alek finished by slicing through the arms, effectively disabling the Dioscuria.

He opened a communication channel.

* * *

"Impossible… I'm at his mercy…" Saazbaum was awestruck by the performance of the White Death, which outdid every single kataphrakt he had ever seen before. _It has to have an Aldnoah drive… there's no other explanation._

When the communication channel opened, he found himself demanding answers. "Who are you? And what are you planning to do?"

"I'll get right to the point, Count Saazbaum. You are going to die. But not before answering questions." A familiar voice said.

The count grit his teeth. "I will not betray my empire."

"I'm not asking about the empire. And if I wanted to know about it, I would have gone back home ages ago. What I want to know is this." A video link suddenly appeared. "Who is she?"

"Prince Aleksander? Impossible! We left you on Earth to die!" The count was shocked.

Aleksander's eyes narrowed. "Funny thing, really. I might have died, had it not been for the medical treatment that came along. Imagine my surprise though, when I discovered that Slaine betrayed me. But I digress. Who is she?"

"Who?" Saazbaum asked.

"My half-sister. Who is she? There's no way that the Asseylum that's appeared in the announcements is the real one, and only someone from the royal family could convincingly imitate Asseylum's speech. Now, who is she?"

Saazbaum observed the prince. "What do you intend to do, if I tell you?"

"I don't plan to kill her, if that's what you're wondering. I have already lost enough family as it is." Aleksander's face was still impassionate. "You, on the other hand, shot my sister. There is only one fate suitable for you."

The count closed his eyes. "I see. If I may ask, how did you learn about your half-sister?"

"I heard a brief conversation between you and someone about there being a 'princess on the moon' before I came to Earth. Who is she?"

"Lemrina Vers Envers. That is her name. Now, take your revenge, Prince Aleksander."

"No."

The count's eyes shot open. "What?"

"I will not kill you out of revenge, Count Saazbaum. Make no mistake, you will die. But I will not kill you because you shot my sister. I will kill you because you are a threat to Earth and to humanity. That is my role as future emperor. I can no longer allow my emotions to cloud my judgement." Aleksander said.

Count Saazbaum smiled. "I see. You really have matured, Prince Aleksander. If you take the throne, I hope you will lead Vers to prosperity."

"Thank you, Count Saazbaum. Farewell." Aleksander pulled the trigger.

* * *

Slaine couldn't believe his eyes as he watched the Dioscuria explode. _The White Death just singlehandedly defeated Count Saazbaum. That thing is a demon._

He flew the Tharsis back to Marineros base. _I can't let it stop my plans._

Seeing the prompt execution of Count Saazbaum brought a possibility to Slaine's mind. _If Inaho Kaizuka survived, is it possible that Prince Aleksander survived as well?_

* * *

After he apologized to the members of Rhinelander Platoon (and got them to apologize to Inko and Rayet), Alek went to the cafeteria, where everyone was watching the broadcast of Count Saazbaum's funeral, presented by none other than Slaine.

"On this day, I have lost my second father. He was a great man who devoted his life to the prosperity of the Vers Empire. I hereby announce my resolve to carry on his legacy and fight for even greater prosperity for the Vers Empire! Lords of the Vers Orbital Knights, this is no time to be squabbling amongst each other. As knights of the noble Vers Empire, should we not work hand in hand to eradicate Earth's resistance? In the name of her Imperial Highness Asseylum Vers Allusia and her late brother Aleksander Vers Allusia!"

 _I didn't realize Slaine was such a good speaker. Where has he been hiding this talent?_

"He isn't lying." Inaho said.

"Huh?" Alek was confused.

"Her Highness Asseylum is biding her time at lunar base."

"I knew it. She's alive." Inaho said.

Alek took a breath. _She's alive. Asseylum is alive. You were right, Inaho._

He let a tear fall in happiness.

* * *

 **And scene. Yes, the fight between the Pegasus and the Dioscuria was rather short. However, if you're worried about it being too powerful, here are a couple facts that you should find interesting.**

 **The biggest weakness of the Pegasus is its wings. Take out even one and its mobility is significantly reduced.**

 **There are three kataphrakts that can give it significant trouble. Two of which Alek will fight. The third is purely hypothetical (it's the Herschel).**


	16. Making Plans

**Compared to a bunch of other chapters, this one will be particularly short.**

* * *

"So we're going to Port Aden next?"

Captain Magbaredge nodded. "That's right. There's going to be a Landing Castle not too far away. I believe we're expected to assist in capturing it."

"Right. Do we know anything about said Landing Castle?" Alek asked. "Like who the count is?"

"Word is that the Landing Castle in question belongs to Count Mazuurek." The captain said. "Apparently, he's been—"

"Hold on, did you just say 'Mazuurek'?" Alek asked.

Captain Magbaredge blinked. "Is there a problem?"

"Kind of." Alek admitted. "Count Mazuurek and I were on relatively good terms from before I went to Earth. At the time, his father held the title of count. The Mazuurek family is the closest thing the Vers Orbital Knights have to pacifists, and it persists even with the youngest of their line."

"Yet they still landed on Earth."

"Did they land in the middle of the desert?" Alek asked.

"Well, yes. Why?"

"That's the proof. He won't land in the middle of civilization for fear of causing death and destruction. His father really impressed on him."

"Regardless, he will probably be the target of our next mission. Are you alright with that?"

Alek was silent. "When we land in Port Aden, can you delay when we start the mission? I want to try to bring Count Mazuurek over."

"To our side?"

"To my side." Alek corrected her. "I plan to make Count Mazuurek my first ally in taking the throne."

"And the other Orbital Knights?"

"If I have at least two of the Orbital Knights pledge allegiance to me, it'll set an example for the other Orbital Knights. Especially the younger ones. I'll need your help with one thing, captain."

"And that is?"

"Keeping the top brass off me. If they try to butt into this in any way, I may be forced to declare a stance against Earth. And trust me on this, Earth would lose."

"I should be able to do that much."

* * *

Inko saw Alek in the hangar, drawing on his sketchbook. She looked over his shoulder to see him sketching out the Earth, with a reference image displayed on his datapad.

"You finally got a good picture?" Inko asked.

"Yep. Must have waited around three hours for a good picture that had only a couple clouds."

Inko couldn't help but smile a bit at how focused Alek could get when he was sketching.

Alek looked up. "What?"

"Nothing. It's just… we're at war, you've found out that your sister is alive, and you have time to draw still. That last one just doesn't seem to mix in as well."

Alek shrugged. "We're not in battle, and it's not like I can get to the moon base right now. I might as well do something before we go back down to Earth."

"We're going back down to Earth soon?" Inko asked.

"In about thirty minutes. Apparently, we're going to Port Aden, which is in the Middle East."

"How did you hear about this?"

"Had to talk with the captain about when we would do a restart on the Deucalion's Aldnoah drive and the topic came up." Alek said. "You never told me that you activated the Aldnoah drive."

"I didn't really get to the topic. I was going to tell you, but then you left right after the hospital discharged you." Inko said.

"That's fair, I guess. It's weird though. I'm not used to you keeping secrets." Alek said.

Inko felt indignant. "Hold on, you're the one with the whole 'I'm a member of Vers royalty' secret that you've been hiding for seven years, and you're shocked by the fact that I didn't tell you something?"

"Well, I mean, you'd find it hard to find a member of the Vers upper class that doesn't keep at least some secret. It's just that after knowing you for so long, seeing you keep a secret feels weird. You're usually pretty open about most things."

"I guess that's true…"

Alek took a moment to stop sketching and nuzzled her. "Hey, it's what makes you who you are. I wouldn't change it for the world."

Inko took a moment to smile. Whether or not he did it intentionally, Alek really knew how to make a girl feel better.

* * *

"How were the other nobles afterwards?" Lemrina asked Slaine.

"I'm told that none of them are openly expressing opposition, according to Harklight."

"Do you also believe that, Slaine?"

"No. They are only holding their tongues for the time being, thinking it distasteful to raise objections while the count is still being mourned." Slaine's head was down in thought.

Lemrina nodded. "It is an undeniable fact that Count Saazbaum's death is a great loss to Vers." She looked out the window. "I am the result of an indiscretion committed on the moon by my father Gilzeria, the second emperor. Father perished as a result of his second sin, Heaven's Fall, and the moon we now stand on was shattered. Count Saazbaum found me and offered his allegiance when I had lost my family. Although I never knew what he was truly thinking, deep down. But that is fine. It is actually more difficult to trust those who have no talent for scheming. Like it or not, you will have to bear the brunt of their jealousy and envy, Slaine. You have inherited all of Count Saazbaum's privileges, as well as his status as Princess Asseylum's guardian."

Slaine nodded. "I am prepared. But it is a grave responsibility that deserves to be envied."

"That outfit looks quite good on you. Do not forget, the princess you must protect now is before you."

Slaine hesitated for a moment. "Princess Lemrina. When Count Saazbaum died at the hands of the White Death, a possibility occurred to me regarding the identity of the pilot."

"Oh? Why bring this up with me?" Lemrina asked.

"It is only a slight possibility, but there is a chance that the pilot of the White Death is your brother, Prince Aleksander."

Lemrina's eyes widened. "Aleksander? But you said you left him to die."

"That's the thing. We never actually confirmed his death. It's only a slight possibility, but the possibility exists." Slaine frowned. "I could be wrong, of course, but it's best to be careful."

Lemrina nodded. "Of course."

* * *

Count Mazuurek was feeling conflicted at the moment. On one hand, he knew that he had to press on with the invasion. On the other hand, he didn't want to kill people that had no real way of defending themselves. It just didn't seem right. Especially because these people had been respected by Prince Aleksander, of all people.

The count still remembered the first time he met the prince.

—Flashback—

 _During the commendation ceremony for Count Cruhteo, the former Count Mazuurek had brought his teenage son for the occasion. The young boy looked around, surprised by the number of people there._

" _Is something the matter, son?"_

" _No, father. It's just that I've never seen so many people at a ceremony before."_

" _Hm. Count Cruhteo is an honorable man, one of the two Orbital Knights who is close to the Emperor. He is deserving of this commendation."_

 _Mazuurek looked around, spotting Count Cruhteo's son, Klancain, watching with the face of a boy who was proud of his father. As he continued observing the room, he heard his father suddenly call out._

" _Ah, I'm surprised to see you watching from here, of all places, Prince Aleksander. The view from here is not as good as it is from up front."_

" _Count Mazuurek. It's a pleasure to see you here as well. The view may not be as good here, but I believe this occasion is to honor Count Cruhteo. I gave Klancain my seat. After all, it is his father that we are honoring. A son who is proud of his father should have one of the better seats, should he not?" The voice of a young boy responded._

" _I see your views have not changed."_

" _What can I say? Those who have someone to be proud of deserve some good when the person they are proud of is being honored."_

 _Mazuurek turned around to see Prince Aleksander, surprised at how composed the boy looked for his age, which was at least six years younger than him. Despite that, decorum stated that he bow to the Prince._

" _I am honored to meet you, your highness."_

" _The pleasure is mine. I would stay to converse with you, but I believe my grandfather requests my presence. We still have to go over the details for my trip."_

 _When the prince left, Mazuurek looked up at his father. "That was Prince Aleksander?"_

" _Yes. He's not all what you expected, is he?"_

" _Not at all, father."_

 _The count chuckled. "Do not be too surprised. Prince Aleksander is one of the most respectable men that I know of, despite his age. He is even willing to go to Earth in order to receive firsthand education regarding the planet."_

 _Mazuurek was surprised. "Willing to go to Earth?"_

" _Not under his actual name, of course. But yes. He is to leave for the blue planet in a couple days, if I remember correctly."_

" _That's amazing…"_

—Flashback End—

Prince Aleksander didn't know it, but after that meeting, he became a role model that Count Mazuurek looked up to. It had to do with the fact that his Highness was willing to go to Earth merely to learn, something that held no value by itself, but would be invaluable if he wanted to reach out for negotiations with Earth. To the young count, it was clear that Prince Aleksander sought peace.

When his father died and he took over as Count, he swore to Emperor Rayregalia that when Prince Aleksander became emperor, he would be among the first to join him.

Now that Aleksander was dead though, he was conflicted. Should he go out into battle? Should he avoid fighting?

After about an hour of agonizing over the choices, he came to a decision.

"Ready my Sirenum."

 _Forgive me, Prince Aleksander._

* * *

"Count Mazuurek is attacking?" Alek was shocked.

"We just got word from Clysedale Platoon. They're currently engaging a single kataphrakt in battle. We're sending out Ensign Kaizuka to assist from above." Captain Magbaredge said.

Alek frowned. "Can you ask him to aim to disable? I need Count Mazuurek alive for my plans."

"I believe he aims to do that. For now, I recommend that you go back to your room and strap down. We will be reentering the atmosphere as soon as we are no longer able to assist Clysedale Platoon."

"Yes, ma'am." Alek acknowledged. _Time to listen to Lloyd carry on about how he hates being strapped to a bed like some torture victim. I'd see if I could room with Inko, but then rumors would fly and we would never hear the end of it. Plus she's already rooming with Rayet._

That thought brought along another depressing. _We won't be able to stay together forever. When I become emperor, I have to take responsibility first. For Inko to take on a similar role without her consent would be disastrous. That doesn't even include the people's response if she becomes empress. What do I do?_

* * *

Count Mazuurek was not feeling the love.

Granted, no Orbital Knight would be feeling the love. Especially after being captured by Terran forces and put in their prison. And the White Death wasn't even involved, which stung even more. It was almost as if Count Mazuurek was just a walk in the park for the Terrans.

He sighed in resignation. He had no idea how long he was going to be down here, so he might as well just live with it and not answer any questions.

* * *

Yuki and Inko high-fived each other, which was a pretty warm welcome compared to what Alek got for leaving. Had Alek been there at the moment, he probably would have done some minor complaining

Nina jumped up behind Inko. "Long time no see, Yuki!"

"Sheesh, you up and left us all of a sudden. You scared us!"

Yuki seemed a tad bit abashed. "Sorry. Chalk it up to grown-up reasons."

"We'll be able to fight together again, right?" Nina asked.

"So, I hear you guys have been busy." Yuki said.

"Yep!"

"And you haven't a bit, Yuki."

Yuki smiled at the compliment before noticing a familiar girl walk up. "Rayet! So, you liking it here?"

Rayet gave a rare smile. "It's alright."

"Inaho's doing fine as well, though I can't exactly say the same for Alek." Inko said.

The smile on Inko's face suggested that whatever was happening to Alek, it wasn't actually bad. Yuki was curious though. "So where is Alek?"

"Giving Captain Magbaredge Aldnoah activation rights so that the Deucalion's Aldnoah drive is reconnected to her. He said he wanted to sketch out the moon also." Inko said.

"So it's not connected to you anymore?" Yuki asked.

Inko shook her head. "Alek deactivated the drive after we landed."

"And he's going to sketch the moon afterwards? I swear, that boy has a one track mind when it comes to drawing."

"I do not!" Alek jumped off the wing of the Deucalion, landing right behind Rayet. "I have other focuses too, you know."

"Yeah, but art is your main one in your free time." Inko pointed out. "You literally spend more time drawing than all your other free activities combined. And that includes reading, which you spend hours doing at a time."

Alek had no answer for her. As the person who knew him the longest, she was right.

He decided to change the topic. "So what happened to Count Mazuurek?"

"Oh, him? He's in custody now." Yuki was surprised by the change of pace. "What's that sigh of relief for?"

"Oh, nothing. Just… planning things. Secret things." Alek said.

At this point, they figured he had something planned. Being a prince entitled him to being sneaky from time to time.

* * *

 **And the rest you guys probably know**

 **Slaine destroys Trident Base, gets tons of respect**

 **Clysedale Platoon which has Marito and Yuki fights against Mazuurek before Inaho intervenes**

 **So yeah, short chapter**

 **Also, is anyone else who uses Netflix bothered by the fact that Episode 14 doesn't have its original title, but is just labelled as 'Episode 14'? Is the word 'damned' really censored?**


	17. The Wheel Turns

**All hail Count Mazuurek! Seriously, I really respect him for avoiding acts of aggression as long as possible. Probably my favorite among the counts.**

* * *

Alek walked into the Deucalion's bridge to ask about interrogating Count Mazuurek when he heard Captain Magbaredge and XO Mizusaki talking about him.

"And our Martian Knight guest?"

"Not a word. He appears to be the silent type."

"Mizusaki, do you know why men who are the silent type are so attractive?"

"Is it because they always seem calm and collected?" Mizusaki asked nervously.

"It's because they sit quietly and listen to what you have to say."

"Technically not wrong, but there's probably more to it than that. Though if you want, I can introduce you." Alek said, walking in.

Mizusaki's blush became very heavy at that mention. "N-no!"

Captain Magbaredge had a small chuckle before turning to him. "Did you want something, Audet?"

"I was actually wondering if you would allow me to talk to Count Mazuurek. I need to set my plans into motion."

"Hmm. Permission granted. Do try not to antagonize him. I heard about how you went out of your way to irritate Rhinelander Platoon."

"In my defense, they were being rude to Inko and Rayet. Besides, it's more likely that Count Mazuurek will be scared of antagonizing me. Nobility does tend to avoid pissing off royalty, after all. Maybe I'll give him a shock to see how he reacts." Alek said, activating his disguise. It may have been more than a year since he used it, but it was still available to him.

"Ah, you may want to talk to Ensign Kaizuka. He's been making a request to interrogate him as well." Mizusaki said.

"Really now? I'll go and check with him then." Alek began walking. "Are you sure you don't want me to introduce you? He may be younger than you, but he's not a bad person."

"No!"

* * *

Alek saw Yuki arguing with Inaho in the hall.

"That girl's not the Princess Asseylum you used to know. She's now an enemy who's trying to conquer the Earth." Yuki said.

"That person is a fake. The real one is alive somewhere." Inaho said.

"How could possibly you know that?"

"It's what my left eye told me. And Alek mentioned it as well. He knows his sister better than anyone in existence."

Yuki's eyes widened. Inaho continued. "Judging from the situation, I think she's being held against her will. So I want to rescue Seylum."

Alek's expression softened from where he was.

"That's impossible."

"Yuki-nee. She was shot right in front of me. I was hurt, and she was shot as she tried to help me. That's why I have to save her." Inaho turned and walked away.

"Nao-kun!" Yuki reached out but stood in place.

Alek walked up next to her. "Amazing, isn't it? How we think we know our younger siblings the best until one day, they take us by surprise and go through a huge change."

"Did that happen to you as well?" Yuki asked.

Alek nodded. "The night after I found my sister, when we were in the school, I discovered that she felt just as guilty as I did. She never expressed it before, keeping to her happy expression. I didn't even realize that my sister had gone through this change for the longest time. It made me realize that she was a lot more like me than I thought."

Yuki nodded sadly. "I never thought Nao would change so much."

"Happens when you fall for someone. Anyone who claims that they don't feel the change when something like that happens is lying to themselves."

"Like how you fell for Inko?" Yuki asked.

The prince shook his head. "Exactly like how I fell for Inko. It gave shape to the reality that I lived in, how I would never really be able to love anyone else like I love her. Yet for all that, the chance of our relationship happening is even smaller than the chance that the universe implodes and all creation is undone. It simply won't work between us, yet I'm too scared to even try and break it off."

"Why not just make her Empress when you ascend the throne, if that's what you're worried about?"

Alek shook his head. "Could you do that? Force someone into a position where they would hold the responsibility of managing an entire world? For someone like me, who has been raised practically from birth to become a ruler, it would be alright. I have prepared for years to take on the burden. It would be wrong of me to force my burden upon her."

"What if she chooses to bear them with you?" Yuki asked.

"The entire Empire would be in an uproar. They would never accept a Terran as Empress."

"Then convince them otherwise." Yuki said.

"Pardon?"

"Convince them of our value. Win them over. Isn't that what a ruler is supposed to do? Win the hearts of his people?"

Alek started shaking. Yuki was worried for a moment before he started laughing.

"What's so funny?" Yuki asked, indignant.

"Nothing. It's just that you reminded me of one of the first lessons that I taught my sister."

"Which is?"

"Being a ruler isn't always about knowing what to do. It's about being able to inspire people to action. Thanks, Yuki." Alek said with a smile, before walking off.

* * *

Inko was going to ask Alek and Inaho to join her, Nina and Rayet for lunch, but she couldn't find either of them.

Well, it would be more accurate to say that she managed to get a glimpse of Alek earlier with three lunch trays, one neatly balanced on his head, but he had disappeared to get something done. She didn't actually recognize him right away until she realized the familiar head of brown hair was back where the blonde hair had been. Alek must have been up to something, if he was using his disguise. She wasn't sure what exactly. Which was why she was just eating with the girls.

She was a bit concerned for Rayet though. The girl hadn't even touched her food.

Nina noticed it as well. "Rayet, are you not eating?"

"Eat a little bit, or you won't have any energy when we go into battle." Inko agreed.

"I'm not hungry." Rayet said.

 _Is she on a diet?_ "With a fasting diet, the weight starts coming off at your breasts."

"I've never gone on a diet before."

Ok, now that hurt. Major time.

"You've never gone on a diet before, Rayet? That's amazing! How do you keep that figure?" Nina asked.

Inko slapped her face in frustration. _That's just not fair._

"Would you tell me as well?" An older voice asked.

Inko and Nina turned to see Mizusaki. "Commander."

"Having lunch, ma'am?"

"It would be nice to somewhere besides the ship when we're in port."

"Right. We don't get to eat lunch out very often, do we?" Nina said.

That sparked Inko's brain. "Oh, that reminds me. Has anyone seen Inaho or Alek? I was going to invite them for lunch, but they both disappeared."

"Ensigns Kaizuka and Audet are interrogating the Martian Knight at the moment."

"Huh? They're interrogating him?"

Rayet suddenly stood up and walked away. "I'm heading back."

"Huh? Wait a… Rayet?" Inko and Nina looked at each other in concern.

"She didn't tell us the secret to her figure…"

 _I think you have your priorities wrong…_

* * *

 _Please don't let the tray fall…_ Alek thought to himself as he carried the three lunch trays down to the place where Inaho was interrogating Count Mazuurek.

He heard voices as the two of them continued talking.

"So you're saying that the Princess Asseylum at our moon base is an imposter?"

"Yes."

"If that's true, where is the real one? Is she being held prisoner somewhere? Or is there a reason she cannot show herself?"

"Possibly both."

"That left eye of yours saw through that, as well?" Count Mazuurek asked.

"It's an analytical engine."

Alek had just made it down the stairs when Count Mazuurek started laughing.

"Count Mazuurek is not so foolish that he would believe such a preposterous tale!"

 _Did he… just refer to himself in third person?_

Inaho seemed unfazed. "We've retrieved your kataphrakt."

The count calmed down again. "It's Aldnoah Drive was knocked offline by the explosion. It will never work again."

"You powered it down yourself out of fear that the Terrans would steal it."

"Weren't you listening? It stopped working after the explosion."

"Did it now? Just as I thought, you shut it down intentionally. I will say it again. Princess Asseylum is an imposter."

Alek finally made it to the cell where they were keeping Count Mazuurek. "Phew. Do you have any idea how hard it is to carry three lunch trays, Inaho? Especially when we only have two hands?"

"I'm not that hungry right now."

"I carried down three lunch trays, one of them for you. My head hurts from keeping the tray balanced. You are eating it whether or not you like it, understand?"

Inaho relented. Alek turned to Count Mazuurek. "You're probably hungry as well." He opened the cell door to hand him a lunch tray with utensils and napkins. "Here. It's probably better than whatever they've been giving you."

"Are you sure it's alright to open up the cell door for your prisoner like that?" The count asked.

Alek shrugged. "It's not like you're going anywhere soon. Besides, I'm well-trained when it comes to apprehending people."

Count Mazuurek narrowed his eyes. "This isn't some ploy to loosen my tongue, is it?"

"Perish that thought. I simply think that we should treat our prisoners with respect. Go on and eat. We can talk after you finish."

They ate in silence. One they finished, Alek gathered up the trays and put it to the side while Count Mazuurek leaned on a wall.

"How can you be so certain that the Princess Asseylum at the moon base is an imposter?" Count Mazuurek asked.

"Princess Asseylum was shot in front of me. By Count Saazbaum. He shot Prince Aleksander as well." Inaho said.

"Preposterous!"

"After doing so, he escaped with Slaine Troyard, taking the dying Princess Asseylum with him."

"Saazbaum was celebrated as the hero who rescued Princess Asseylum and tried to save the Prince! Why would he be the one to shoot the prince and princess?"

"He's no hero." Rayet suddenly appeared. "He's the mastermind behind the plot to assassinate her. Prince Aleksander was simply an added bonus."

Hearing the information from another source put off Count Mazuurek. "Count Saazbaum was behind that?"

"Those bastards tricked my father and used him as much as they could and then killed him like a bug." It was clear that Rayet was holding back her anger.

"You are Vers-born then?" Count Mazuurek asked. When Rayet reacted, he continued. "I see. In any event, your father would have died sooner or later. Consider it a blessing he wasn't branded a traitor and lynched."

Rayet flinched, remembering that Alek had something very similar. "Are you saying my father deserved to be killed?"

Inaho grabbed her arm. "Let's go."

"I'm not done with him!"

She didn't have much choice, as Inaho grabbed her arm. "Come on."

As they left, Alek sighed. "She's been carrying a lot ever since her father died. She knows that things could have been way worse for her, but she really loved her father."

"I wouldn't know. I was never that close to my father."

"That's a lie." Alek said with absolute confidence.

Count Mazuurek was startled. "Do you have an analytical engine as well?"

"No. I'm just good at reading people."

"I'm curious. Why are you still here?" Count Mazuurek asked. "I thought you would have gone with them."

"I have thing that I need to talk to you about still." Alek said.

The count was confused. "What exactly?"

"Put simply, I am asking for your assistance."

Count Mazuurek let out a small snort of disdain. "Do you think I am so easy to change sides?"

"What you think and what I know are two different things. I am not asking you to join the Terrans. I am asking you to join me in my endeavors."

"I will not betray Vers."

"Let me ask you, who does your loyalty belong to? Vers? Or the people who rule it?"

Count Mazuurek looked away. "At one point, I would have said Prince Aleksander. Now that he's dead, my answer is Vers."

"At one point, huh? Tell me, why were you loyal to Prince Aleksander?" Alek asked, brains turning.

"I beg your pardon?"

"I'm asking you why your loyalty would lie in a boy who is younger than you, whom you only met once in your life during a ceremony where you barely interacted with him. Rather, it was your father who did most of the talking. Why would you be so loyal?"

Count Mazuurek's eyes widened. "How do you know about that?"

"Prince Aleksander is not dead." Alek said, finally deactivating the disguise. "He stands here before you, Count Mazuurek."

"My prince…"

"Tell me, Count Mazuurek. Will you follow me? Will you rekindle your loyalty to your prince?"

* * *

"Do you ever regret it?" Lemrina asked.

"Huh?" Slaine looked up at Lemrina from the infograph where he was deciding on her next lesson.

"Leaving my brother on Earth. Do you regret it?"

Slaine took a moment to respond. This was a tough topic, after all. "Every day. I have to live with the fact that I was responsible for the death of Aleksander. Count Saazbaum may have been the one to shoot him, but it was me who sentenced him to death. I didn't feel anything the first few days after I left him, but after a week, I couldn't help but feel it. That flood of regret from not saving a friend."

"You called him Aleksander. No titles." The princess observed.

Slaine smiled sadly. "One of the first things he told me when I tried to address him by his title. 'Friends are not required to address each other formally. Even if the respective position of said friends are as different as a beggar and a god.' It didn't really stick with me until more recently, seeing as the Orbital Knights were always correcting me for not using his title."

"What caused the split?" Lemrina asked.

"It started when he went to Earth." Slaine said. "I suppose it was inevitable. We had only known each other for less than a year, after all. When he left, I became less of a friend figure to your brother and sister and more of just a tutor to your sister. The counts wouldn't let me interact with your sister like they did before, when your brother was around. I guess they didn't want a Terran being on very friendly grounds with a member of royalty. It didn't help that I didn't get to talk to your brother for more than a year."

He smiled at the irony. "It was strange, in a way. The fact that he was accepted on Earth and I was the outcast on Vers. I guess I was jealous, or something along that line. I didn't really understand it for a long time. Every time I conversed with him through video he would go on about the friends he had made or the things he had learned. It made me jealous. He was enjoying his time on Earth, while my only solace was the times when I tutored your sister. Yet for all that, I still felt that I owed them. After all, he was the one that got me medical attention after your sister saved my life. Over time, the feelings receded into a small bump that I could ignore."

"And when the two of you met in person?" Lemrina asked.

"I was just relieved to see them alive. Nothing else registered at that point." Slaine said.

"And the next time?"

"I was angry at him. Angry, because I had learned from Count Saazbaum about how Aleksander had actually been the motive behind the war. It wasn't material gain that prompted your father to start the war. It was your brother. Your brother had been the inspiration for the war. And after he had been shot by Count Saazbaum, I came to a conclusion. I was never really a friend to your brother. I was simply a convenience."

"A convenience?" Lemrina wheeled over.

"For anything he needed to get done." Slaine looked rather depressed. "I was basically a means to an end for him, even if he didn't realize it. I would have done anything to save them and he threw away the easiest method to get them out of there alive. Because of what he did, I had to watch as the two people I cared about were almost killed in front of me. Yet despite all that, I still considered him a friend."

A self-mocking smile appeared on his face. "The worst part of it all? When Princess Asseylum finally wakes up, I'll have to tell her the truth. That I was responsible for his death. I have little doubt that she will hate me for it."

Lemrina was silent for a moment as she took in this information. Slaine had shown her a vulnerable side of himself. Whether or not it was intentional, it was now up to her to decide what to make of it.

She did nothing except nod in understanding. She may have been her sister's replacement, but she was in no way going to act like her sister.

Despite that, she couldn't help but feel sympathy for Slaine.

* * *

Lewis Asplund was a man of simple pleasures. If messing around with the features of the Pegasus "for science" could be called simple.

Alek remembered tons of times where he would be trying to test out the Pegasus and then it would be impossible because Asplund had messed up with the hardware, whether it be the multipurpose railguns or the vibration swords or some other feature.

This time, it wasn't just one part of the kataphrakt. Lewis had completely dismantled it. Alek would have blown a bigger fuse had this been right before a battle, but for once in his life, he was actually grateful to the research-obsessed scientist. This way, being failure to capture Count Mazuurek would seem more plausible. He still put up an act.

"What do you mean you took off the energy wings and can't reinstall them just yet?"

"I'm telling you. I'm still working on the ground assault mode for the Pegasus. I can't just abandon a project partway through. Besides, once I finish this, you're going to love it!"

"Oh for the love of…" Alek left the hangar to catch up with Inaho. "Is Rayet at the rendezvous point?"

"She'll be there in one minute. Let's go." Inaho started driving the car.

* * *

When Count Mazuurek found himself broken out of prison by the Vers-born girl, the Terran boy, and Prince Aleksander, he was surprised to say the least. While he had been hopeful that the prince would get him out, he didn't expect it to happen so soon. Or with so many willing parties.

When they got in the car and started moving, Aleksander gave him his instructions.

"I need you to start probing for other Orbital Knights who would be willing to join us. Don't be direct with them. If the wrong person gets the message, we might compromise this plan. Once we have at least three counts, we can make our move. Though even if we have three already, I want you to keep on trying to turn more to our cause until I can take the throne."

"How should I contact you, your Highness?" The count asked.

Aleksander handed him a small device and two letters. "This is connected to a communicator that I have on me at all times. It's a laser transmitter, so once you connect it to something, you'll be able to contact me or leave a message, depending on whether or not I'll be able to pick up the call. I also need you to give this letter to the Emperor. Granted, the audience chamber doesn't physically teleport you back, but you should be able to show it to him or make an exact copy of it. Reading it is also another option. The smaller letter is for my sister."

Count Mazuurek took the letters. "Is there anything else you need me to do?"

"That's up to everyone else in here. Inaho?"

"Two things. The first one, Alek already mentioned, which was finding Princess Asseylum. You should give this to her to prove that you're on our side."

Aleksander blinked in surprise when he saw what Inaho gave the count. "When did you get that necklace?"

"It was in the Landing Castle in Russia."

"And the second thing?" Count Mazuurek asked.

"I need you to find out what Slaine Troyard is planning."

Count Mazuurek had one last concern. "Why aren't they sending out the White Death to find me?"

"White Death?" Aleksander asked.

"The flying white kataphrakt that has been the bane of so many counts?"

Aleksander laughed. "Two reasons. First, its maker has been doing some extremely heavy tinkering with it that will probably last for a couple days. Second, there's only one person who can pilot it. And he's sitting in this vehicle."

Count Mazuurek couldn't believe his ears. "You're telling me that you're responsible for the deaths of many Orbital Knights, Prince Aleksander?"

The prince narrowed his eyes. "As of the moment, this planet and its people are under my protection, Count Mazuurek. I will defend it from any threat, whether it be from its own people or from my home. I owe at least that much to this planet. Those attacking this planet are in the wrong. You should do your best to remember, Count Mazuurek. We of Vers are no different than those of Earth. The only difference is that we were led to believe in our false superiority. I intend to do away with that mindset when I become emperor. We will need the Terrans as much as they need us. To lose them because of the Orbital Knights' desire for conquest is foolish. Will you still follow me, Count Mazuurek?"

The count nodded. "I have resolved to see this through. I will not disappoint you, my prince."

Aleksander smiled. "Thank you."

"May I just ask one thing, milord?" Count Mazuurek asked.

"You may ask as many questions as you want, as far as I'm concerned."

"Can you try to limit your killing as much as possible in the future?" The count asked.

Aleksander's face turned stern. "I'll do my best. If they attack, I will have no choice but to do battle with them. It will be up to you to inform me of the Orbital Knights that I should avoid."

"Yes, milord." Count Mazuurek nodded.

* * *

They finally stopped and got out of the car.

"Keep going north and you'll reach your Landing Castle. You'll need to walk from here." Inaho said.

Rayet tossed him a large duffel bag. "Here. Food and water. We can't have you dying of thirst before you get away. I wouldn't mind at all if you did, though."

Alek was trying hard not to laugh. _Do I sense an inner tsundere in Rayet?_ "If it comes down to it, you may be the only person who can keep my sister safe. I am counting on you."

Count Mazuurek nodded in understanding before turning to Inaho. "Before I go, may I ask you one thing? What is your name? Allow me to properly introduce myself. I am Mazuurek, member of the Vers Orbital Knights' 37 Clans."

Inaho looked down, pondering for a moment. "Mazuurek… There's a type of folk music on Earth with a similar name."

 _Of course you would know that, Inaho._

Mazuurek nodded. "Yes. As I researched my name's meaning, I became fascinated with Earth. It's why my loyalty belongs to Prince Aleksander, who was willing to come to Earth just to learn more about it. And your name?"

"Inaho. Inaho Kaizuka. Mr. Mazuurek, please take care of Princess Asseylum." Inaho extended his hand.

The count took it, looking at both Alek and Inaho. "I shall do so. Inaho Kaizuka, Prince Aleksander."

Inaho cracked a small smile.

 _That's twice in less than a week that Inaho has smiled. Next thing we know, the apocalypse is about to happen._

As Rayet took the driver's seat (Alek sat in the back as he still couldn't drive a car), she decided to pop the question. "Tell me, why did you ask me to help with this?"

"What do you mean?" Inaho asked.

Alek shook his head. "Don't look at me. I just asked Inaho to help Count Mazuurek escape. He was the one who asked you to help."

"Didn't you think I would kill that Martian? Just like that time with Princess Asseylum?"

"In the end, you didn't actually kill her." Inaho pointed out.

"I failed to kill her."

"You're different."

"I am not."

"You are."

Rayet looked at Inaho. "Give it a rest, I am not—"

"You are." Inaho's answer was firm.

"I don't know what you two are talking about, but I can hazard a guess. You think you're like the rest of the Versians, and Inaho says otherwise. He's right, you know." Alek said.

"How can you be so sure—"

"Because you saved me and my sister nineteen months ago. The Rayet we knew before that wouldn't have even raised a hand."

* * *

 _So this is what you were up to, Alek._ Inko watched from a distance. _Why?_

She figured she could ask him about it later. After all, he did promise to answer any question she had for him. It was worth a try.

* * *

"We are humbled and delighted that Your Highness would grant us an audience on such a short notice." Count Marylcian said, embellishing his words with expression.

 _Brown noser._ Lemrina kept her thoughts to herself. She had a role to play as her sister, after all. "Count Marylcian, Count Barouhcruz. I am most grateful to you for bolstering our orbital defenses. Under normal circumstances, I expect that you would want to be on Earth expanding your domains."

"We shall leave the conquest of Earth in the hands of our like-minded brethren. Your Highness needn't worry."

 _The Terrans have the White Death and you insist that I not worry about it?_ Lemrina thought sourly to herself. "I see. That is good to hear."

"However, there is a matter of even greater import to discuss. With the previous Count Saazbaum dead, who will succeed the post of Royal Guard, who is charged with safeguarding the moon base and Your Highness?" Count Marylcian asked.

Slaine spoke up. "You needn't worry about that. I shall take over those duties without delay."

Count Marylcian flinched in disgust before continuing his speech. "Princess Asseylum, I have come to beg you to consider giving me the honor of serving at your side."

That took everyone by surprise. _So this is his power play._

"But Count Marylcian, I have—"

"I will thank you to keep your comments to yourself, Terran! This is a fortress that flies the flag of the Vers Empire. If the post were given to the late Count Saazbaum, a man of great merit who rescued her Highness, I would reluctantly approve of it." Count Marylcian's face turned mocking. "Yet, even as his adopted son, do you think a Terran can inherit that post under the cover of all this turmoil? The very act of one of low blood setting foot inside the castle where a member of the Vers imperial family dwells cannot be tolerated! One who does not possess a Landing Castle does not deserve to be called a count."

The count jumped to the ground and began walking forward. "You are not qualified to protect this place, not in the least!"

Slaine's eyes narrowed. "What do you suggest, then?"

"My Herschel or your Tharsis… We shall determine which is more fit to protect her Highness. Count Troyard, I hereby challenge you to a duel!"

Lemrina turned to Slaine to see his reaction. She recognized the look on his face.

To most people it looked like the face of someone who had just been handed a difficult challenge. However, Lemrina identified another expression under that.

Contempt.

* * *

 **Whew. That's an end to that chapter. This is easily the second longest chapter I have written for this fanfic.**

 **There's a lot of things that I tried to cover, and no doubt I have probably missed a ton of stuff. Try to update me so I can make improvements!**


	18. Understanding

**I spend both too much and too little time on this stuff.**

* * *

"Count Zebrin. Countess Rafia. Count Orga. Thank you all for allowing me to intrude on your valuable time." Slaine bowed to the three Orbital Knights that were closest to his adoptive father.

"I am sorry for your loss, Count Troyard." Countess Rafia smiled at Slaine.

"What happened to Count Saazbaum is most regrettable. To fall at the hands of the White Death is tragic." Count Zebrin agreed.

"When your father was alive, I was greatly indebted to him. If it is in my power, whatever assistance you may request is yours. Even if it be bringing the White Death to justice." Count Orga said.

Slaine was touched by how they treated him. "Thank you. That is most kind. However, now is not the time to wallow in individual sentimentality."

"Most commendable."

"Mm. It is time for the Orbital Knights to band together and press forward with the Earth invasion."

"That is the best way to honor Count Saazbaum."

Slaine looked straight at them. "Indeed. Our ships must sail towards the same goal."

"Ah, I see." Countess Rafia noted.

Count Zebrin seemed to pick up on a hidden message. "You intend to take the helm, then?"

Slaine bowed his head. "If I may be so presumptuous."

The registered that information for a moment before going on to the next point of interest. "By the way, I hear that you are to duel Count Marylcian? I find it odd to be fighting when we must band together. Don't you agree, Count Troyard?"

The Earth-born count chose his words carefully. "No lowly Terran could possibly be a match for the mighty Vers Empire. Such an assumption creates an opening, which becomes a tear, and then an enormous hole, before disintegrating completely. That is the current state of the Orbital Knights."

Countess Rafia and Count Zebrin took offense to this. "You go too far, Count Troyard!"

"As you are aware, I am not Vers-born. However, being an outsider affords me a certain perspective. This upcoming duel is also a result of an Orbital Knight's hubris. I believe it to be my responsibility to teach him the error of his ways.:

"I see. You have a point." Count Orga had his eyes closed in thought.

"Count Orga!"

"I am loath to admit it. Nevertheless, it is the truth. Some portion of it, at least. The appearance of the White Death has proven as much. I leave it to your discretion, Count Troyard." He smiled. "Your attack on Trident Base was magnificent."

Count Orga closed his channel, leaving Countess Rafia and Count Zebrin deep in thought.

"Count Zebrin, Countess Rafia. Thank you for doing me the honor of listening to my many rude remarks."

The two of them closed off the communication channel, leaving Slaine in the room with only Harklight. _I need to focus on the duel now. We can worry about the White Death later._

* * *

"The Pegasus isn't coming with us on this operation?" Everyone was shocked.

They had just been told that their next target was Count Selkinas' kataphrakt, the Solis. Known for its ability to fire lasers, the Solis had been responsible for neutralizing all the satellites in orbit when the Orbital Knights went to war with Earth. The Deucalion had unsurprisingly been called to action. The only thing was, they weren't going to have the support of their most powerful kataphrakt.

"I told you already, Asplund went crazy with trying to create its ground assault mode. He dismantled the entire kataphrakt and still hasn't put it back together. He's working on it now, but it won't be done until probably in the middle of the operation." Alek looked cross, which wasn't a surprise. Screwing around with the Pegasus could significantly cripple the fighting power of the Deucalion. Regardless, they still had to carry on, even without it, because headquarters had given them the date and time for the assignment.

"Once it's put back together, you'll come and join us, right?" Inko asked.

Alek nodded. "I'll provide whatever air support I can, though it might be minimal because the Solis is actually a huge threat to the Pegasus with its anti-air capabilities. The shields won't last and I can't dodge lasers. At the very least, I'll probably be setting up extra transmitters so that the Solis can't disable communication with the Deucalion. I might fire a couple shots from time to time if I can. Until then, good hunting, everyone."

Everyone nodded at Alek's words, bracing themselves for the operation to start. Inko looked at the man.

 _After the operation, I need to ask you a couple things, Alek._

* * *

On the way back to his Landing Castle, Count Mazuurek decided to take a look at the letters that Prince Aleksander gave him. The smaller one for Princess Asseylum simply contained a small note saying that the prince was alive, which wasn't too surprising, considering that most people thought that the prince was dead.

The second note, on the other hand, caught the count's attention. "A Terran? As Empress?"

Count Mazuurek shook his head in wonder. _It appears that Prince Aleksander is enamored with one of them. I guess it happened during his stay on Earth before the war started. Though I wonder, would this Terran be fit to help the prince in his endeavors?_

He stopped himself. "I should hurry to the Landing Castle. These supplies won't last forever."

* * *

After the successful operation, Inko found Alek in his room, reading a book. By the looks of it, it was more Shakespeare.

"Hey, Alek?" Inko asked.

"Hm? Is there something you wanted, Inko?" He looked up from the book he was reading.

"I just wanted to ask a question. Why free that count?"

"You saw that? Wow. I must be getting rusty at sneaking around." Alek said.

Inko just looked at him, expecting an answer.

Alek sighed before going back to his book. "The reason we broke Count Mazuurek out of the prison was because he is exactly what I need. A method to establish my position as Emperor. Once I do so, it's a simple matter to end the war. His job right now is to gather other Orbital Knights loyal to me so they actually perceive the legitimacy of my claim."

Alek as Emperor. Now that was a thought. "That's right. You're going to leave us one day."

"Not willingly. At this point, I don't really have a choice." Alek said.

"Why not? Couldn't you appoint the role to someone else—"

Alek's face was stern. "Inko. We may have known each other for years, but you must remember: I am the Crown Prince of Vers. First in line for the throne. I have to make sacrifices when I take on my duties. That is the reality I live in. To pretend otherwise is an insult to the lives that were hurt or lost to get me to this point. That is why I have no choice."

Inko had a response ready, for once. "Is there a way for me to help you with those duties?"

Alek's head shot up from the book. "Inko, are you suggesting that—"

"That I go with you to Vers to help you? Yes." Inko said.

"Inko, I don't think you understand the ramifications of what you're asking." Alek said.

"You mean it's not that simple?" Inko asked.

Alek shook his head. "If it were simple, I would have no problem with you coming with me to Vers. But the thing is, we're pretty much a couple, right?"

While Inko had a slight blush on her face, she didn't let that faze her. "So? It's not like it makes that much of a difference, does it? I'm staying with you, no matter what."

"You don't get it, do you?" Alek asked, his voice a low whisper. "You wouldn't just be there to help. You would become Empress."

It took Inko around ten seconds to register what Alek said. "Empress?!"

Alek nodded. "Yes, empress."

"A-are you sure that would be alright? Wouldn't the people of Vers be freaked out by the idea of their Empress being from Earth?"

"Which is why I'm going to make them understand the value of comradeship with Earth when I become Emperor. I will teach them to accept that the Terrans are the exact same as they are. It will take a while, there will be dissent, but I will see it done. Now, Inko. Are you sure you want to take on the title of Empress and all the responsibilities that come with that title?"

Inko was at a loss for words. "I… uh…"

Alek closed his book. "Take your time to think about it. It's going to be a while before you have to handle all that stuff, if you choose to."

"R-right."

 _Me… an Empress?_

* * *

"Are you really going to fight in this duel, Slaine?" Lemrina asked, concerned.

Slaine nodded. "Yes. I have been challenged, so I cannot back down from this."

Lemrina was feeling a little bit guilty. _I caused this. He has to risk his life now for something so trivial._ "This is because I allowed Count Marylcian to visit."

"Not at all. I am actually grateful to you. It is the perfect opportunity to demonstrate my strength. If I am victorious in this duel, it will act as a deterrent against the Orbital Knights who oppose me." When Lemrina mouth made a small 'o', he reassured her. "There is nothing to be concerned about."

Lemrina turned to look out the window. "Your dream might come true one day, won't it?"

"I have no dream." Slaine's eyes were closed.

"A Terran who had been held in contempt now holds genuine power within Vers. I have felt it since we first met. That you and I were similar in some way." Lemrina said.

"Do you intend to hold on to your grudge against the royal family forever?"

"Yes. It's incredibly satisfying to see someone without a single drop of Vers blood in him gaining power. I suppose you will never let go, either. Of my sister. Or my brother as well, I guess. Connections are strange like that."

Slaine couldn't help but agree with the princess's assessment. "After this duel, we'll go after the White Death. I need to confirm the identity of the pilot with my own eyes."

Lemrina looked up at Slaine. "If I may, would you let me help you? I don't mind if I am only my sister's substitute." _I'll just take you for my own when the time comes._

* * *

Inko was confused, to say the least. As she poked ate her food, she was joined by a small group.

"Man, Inko. You look down. Did something happen?" Calm asked.

"Calm! That's rude!" Nina chastised him.

Rayet put her tray down on the table. "You don't mind if we join you, do you?"

"Not at all." Inko brought out a small smile.

When they had gotten through some of their food, Rayet decided to pop the question. "So, what's been bothering you?"

"Does it have to do with Alek?" Nina asked.

Inko decided not to dodge around the question this time. "Yeah. More or less. It's just… he's going to leave us one day, right?"

"What? He's going to leave us? Why?" Calm asked.

"He is a prince, you know. And first in line for the seat of Emperor. You should really remember that, Calm." Rayet said.

"Oh, right. He's a prince." Calm said. "That means we'll be seeing less of him. You're probably the most disappointed though, right?"

Inko shook her head. "Not really."

"What, why? Did the two of you break up?" Nina asked.

"No! We're not even— alright, we might as well be dating." Inko admitted. "I asked if I could go with him to Vers to help with whatever he needed."

"Did he reject your offer?" Rayet asked.

Inko sighed. "That's the thing. He didn't. He just asked me if I knew what I was getting myself into. Apparently, it wasn't as simple as me going to help him."

"It's not?" Nina asked.

"Nope. He told me that if I was going to Vers with him, it wouldn't be as simple as me helping. He told me that I would become Empress."

Literally no one expected that. "Ehhh?!"

"Inko y-you would be…"

"Empress?!" Nina's eyes were wide.

Rayet seemed to be the only calm one. "So what did you say?"

Inko shook her head. "I didn't know what to say. Alek completely threw me off when he told me that."

"Well, it certainly is a lot to take in." Nina agreed.

Yuki came by. "What's a lot to take in?"

"Oh, hey Yuki. Alek told Inko that if she was going to go to Vers with him, she would become Empress."

Yuki didn't show the reaction that everyone else did, instead smiling. "I should have figured he would do something."

"Hold on, you knew something about this?" Inko asked.

"Well, he did talk with me about it the other day." Yuki said. "You know, he was actually against the idea of you becoming Empress when I first talked to him."

"Really? Why would that be?"

"Hmm. He said that he didn't want to force you into such a heavy burden where you would be responsible for an entire world unless you said so yourself. And then he went on about the people on Vers would never accept a Terran as Empress, all that stuff."

That piqued Inko's curiosity. "What changed his mind?"

Yuki put her hand on her chin as she thought about it. "Well, I asked him if he could just convince the people on Vers of our value. Then he started laughing almost like a madman."

"What? Why?"

"He took my suggestion seriously." Yuki said. "So, what did you say?"

"I haven't told him anything yet. It's a lot to wrap my head around." Inko said.

Yuki decided to play the role of guide. "Do you want me to help?"

"Huh? Sure."

"Alright. Let's get to the important questions. Do you love Alek?"

Inko nodded. "I do."

"Next question, then. Why do you love Alek?" Yuki asked.

Inko's face began burning with embarrassment. "Well…"

"Oh, this is going to be good." Calm had a grin on his face.

"Calm! You shouldn't be making fun of her!" Nina said.

"Hey, I might be able to pick up some tips on what girls like!"

Yuki sighed. "Alright, get out. Go do something else, Calm. This is girl stuff right here."

"O-oi!"

After they kicked out Calm, Yuki turned to Inko. "So, why do you love Alek?"

"Well… I guess he's handsome, smart, charismatic, and knows how to make a girl feel better."

"Mhm. Go on."

"I feel like I'm in an interview." Inko grumbled.

"Well, you've only pointed out traits that most girls would like in a guy anyway, so that doesn't give us much to work with." Nina pointed out.

Yuki nodded. "So what's the big reason, then?"

Inko had an answer already. "He cares for everyone. That's what I love about him. He worries about how everyone's doing all the time and tries to find ways to help them, looking to the root of their problem. And he always does his best to help them. Always. I want to be there to help him through all that."

Upon hearing that explanation, Yuki nodded. "There you have it. Now, we already know that Alek loves you. The question is, why?"

"Umm… I don't know, actually." Inko admitted.

"Well, why don't you go find out?" Yuki asked.

"O-okay!" Inko got up and ran to find Alek.

As she left, Rayet turned to Inko. "You seem rather intent on playing matchmaker."

Yuki smiled. "Well, it's not so much matchmaker as it is counselor. I figured the two of them could use it since they're always dodging around their relationship and never actually directly addressing it."

"And you're not even jealous that they're in a relationship and you're not?"

Yuki's instantaneous sulking was not expected.

* * *

Inko found Alek talking with Inaho on top of the Deucalion.

"Which kataphrakts are fighting?"

"There's the Tharsis and then there's a red kataphrakt. It appears to shoot lasers."

Alek frowned. "I don't know that one. Must be someone who dislikes Slaine if he's challenging him like that."

"Umm…" Inko started.

That got Alek's attention. "Oh, Inko. Did you want something?"

"Can I talk to you? In private?" Inko asked.

Alek followed her. "Is something the matter?"

Inko blushed for a moment before deciding to look Alek straight in the eye. "Why me?"

"Huh?"

"You told me two years ago that you loved me. Why?"

Alek was quiet for a moment before he answered. "There are a lot of reasons. You're usually full of energy. You have this uncanny ability to motivate people to get things done, you're cheerful, friendly, and beautiful."

"Beautiful?" Inko asked. She hadn't really heard that word applied to her before. Cute was usually the word used, if any word was used.

"Yes. Beautiful. But none of those are the main reasons for why I love you."

"So what is it then?"

Alek's face turned the slightest bit red. "It's because you were the person who reached out to that one boy who was on the verge of crying on the playground almost ten years ago. You were the one who became my support, even if neither of us knew it at the time."

"Oh." Inko contemplated Alek's words for the moment. "What's the job of an Empress?"

"There actually aren't any." Alek admitted. "Up until now, the Empress has been more of a role for people who simply want to gain power. The way I see it though, the position of Empress should belong to someone who is willing to help the Emperor with any problem that came along, whether it be internal or external. In other words, the Empress is responsible for assisting the Emperor in the managing of an entire world."

It took Inko a moment to wrap her mind around that. "Managing an entire world…"

Alek looked at her. "You haven't come to a decision, have you?"

"No." Inko admitted.

Alek nodded. "Take your time. It's alright if your answer is no."

" _It's alright if your answer is no."_ Inko felt a slight surge of jealousy. "Why is it alright if my answer is no? Do you have something else planned? Is there someone else?"

"Not actually, no." Alek said. "It's just that I understand if you don't want to be responsible for managing all of Vers. I wouldn't want to force that burden upon anyone. All of this is up to you. I'd rather be alone for the rest of my life than spend it with someone else that isn't you."

"That's a sad thought." Inko looked down at the ground. "At the very least, you can still enjoy the time you have now, right?"

Alek smiled sadly. "I guess I can, yes."

* * *

"Milord! You're alive!" Count Mazuurek was greeted by the men aboard his Landing Castle.

The count nodded. "Somehow. I managed to escape the Terrans, though the Sirenum is no longer usable."

"We'll prepare a bath for you right away, milord. You must be tired after your journey."

Count Mazuurek nodded. "I am. But afterwards, there are some things that I need to do. We need to begin talking with some of the other counts to plan our allegiances out."

"Allegiances, milord? What about allying with Count Troyard?" One of the men asked.

"We will not be allying with him." Count Mazuurek shut him down. "It doesn't matter what he's done recently, I will not ally myself with that man."

He turned around to look at everyone gathered. "All of you are to swear to never speak about what I am to tell you to anyone else. Each and every one of you will have his or her loyalty tested in the near future. When that time comes, I want you all to follow me. Will you do so?"

There was no hesitation. "Yes, milord!"

"Then prepare the audience chamber. I wish to speak to the Emperor."

* * *

 **And plans are set into motion.**

 **There has been one person pointing out tons of places where I can improve, and I really appreciate the efforts of said person.**

 **Next chapter will see things go very hectic. Or the chapter after that. You get the idea.**


	19. Planning and Execution

**Rule number 1 to pissing off older brothers and fathers: Announce the engagement of younger sister to someone that the said family member doesn't like.**

 **This is actually a thing. And you will see it to a small degree this chapter.**

 **Also, big stuff happening this chapter and/or next.**

* * *

"I, Asseylum Vers Allusia, will take Count Slaine Saazbaum Troyard as my husband, and create a new kingdom here in Earthspace. At this time, in spite of the best efforts of you resolute knights, there is no indication that the war will be ending soon. With matters coming to this, what should our course of action be? Is this a time for the Orbital Knights to squabble among themselves? Is it a time to squabble over credit? The time has come for us to gather under one flag and fight together for the future of Vers. I have delegated all my authority to the lord of this newly repowered castle, as well as my soon-to-be husband, Count Troyard. This includes the right to decide upon whom to bestow the power to awaken Aldnoah. Until the day comes when we achieve victory in this war, it is my heartfelt wish that you consider Count Troyard's words as my own and rally to his side. All that we do, we do for Vers!"

Alek's hand clenched into a fist as he watched the broadcast. _A new kingdom here on Earth? To what end?_ _What are you up to, Slaine? And why exactly are you helping him, Lemrina? Count Mazuurek, things have become more difficult for you. I hope you succeed._

"Alek?" Inko asked, concerned.

Alek took a deep breath, unclenching his fist. "I don't get it. What are they planning? What is he planning? I don't understand Slaine. Why would he go so far as to try and create a kingdom on Earth?"

"There are too many unknown factors at this point. We can't make any assessments without further knowledge of the situation." Inaho said.

"I get that, but still—" Alek suddenly paused.

"Alek? What's wrong?"

Alek shook his head. "Nothing. I'm fine." _I don't know why, but I get the feeling that Asseylum has just woken up or something… What could that mean?_

* * *

"Your Majesty, are you doing well?" Count Mazuurek asked the Emperor.

The Emperor's response was slow, as he lay in his bed. "As well as can be, I suppose. I take it you are here about the announcement made by Asseylum?"

The count shook his head. "Yes and no. I am actually here on behalf of your grandson."

"Of Aleksander? He is alive?" Rayregalia Vers Rayvers asked.

"He lives. He asked that I bring you this letter so that you may hear what he has to say."

"I see. Proceed, then."

Count Mazuurek opened the letter and began reading.

 _Grandfather,_

 _I am alive. It was not the Terrans who attempted to take my life, but rather the late Count Saazbaum. He has held a grudge against the royal family for a long time. He is the one responsible for shooting both myself and Asseylum._

 _I was the one who ended his life. I will not deny that. However, I ask that you listen to my reasoning before passing judgement._

 _We of Vers have believed in our superiority for far too long, blinding ourselves to the truth. We are not superior to the Terrans, as Father would have told us. Because of this blind following, the Orbital Knights have relentlessly killed the people of Earth. I have taken it upon myself to defend this planet from the Orbital Knights. Unlike the former Emperor, I believe that neither Vers nor Earth can advance as civilizations unless they work together. With its possession of Aldnoah, Vers has an advantage in technology. But that is the only true advantage of Vers. Earth has an abundance of other things that Vers does not. Culture, the ability to voice opinions without complaint, as well as the desire to continually improve itself. Both worlds stand to gain if they learn from each other. However, the war currently prevents this interaction from happening. As things stand, we will destroy each other and render progress impossible._

 _That is why I have ended Count Saazbaum's life. It was not a personal grudge that led me to do so, but rather a judgement based off the threat that he posed to the people of Earth and by extension, Vers._

 _As such, I have decided that when the time is right, I will take the throne._

 _To do so now would be folly, as many of the Orbital Knights still believe in Father's dogma and willingly go to war for such. After all, a ruler cannot do anything if his subjects disagree with him at every turn. I intend to gain the alliance of as many of the Orbital Knights as I can before I take my place. That way, the Orbital Knights will understand that my cause is not the ramblings of a single man taken in by Earth, but rather that of someone who has seen both sides of the conflict and understood it._

 _There is also the matter of Asseylum. I believe that the current one that we have been seeing is an imposter, and that the real Asseylum is being held as a prisoner somewhere. I intend to rescue her, if possible._

 _I hope that when the time comes, you will bestow your blessing upon me. Until then, I hope you stay well, Grandfather._

 _Best regards,_

 _Your grandson, Aleksander Vers Allusia._

 _P.S. I know this sounds immature after the contents of this letter, but what do you think of a Terran as Empress Consort?_

As Count Mazuurek finished the letter, he heard the Emperor let out a small laugh.

"So it really is Aleksander. Only he would finish off a letter with something so trivial. The next time you see him, tell him that it does not matter who the Empress is. And that I will support him to the best of my ability."

Count Mazuurek bowed, delighted. "Thank you, Milord."

The Emperor closed his eyes. "Count Mazuurek, there is something you should know. The newly established Count Cruhteo, Klancain, is on his way to the Moon Base. I have sent him there to investigate and to ensure Asseylum's safety. If you find the chance, speak to him. He will join you. After all, his family has always been loyal."

The count nodded. "I shall do so, milord."

The Emperor seemed to fade away into sleep the next time he spoke. "I wish the best of luck to you."

An attendant came by. "You are lucky he was in a more lucid state at this time. His health is deteriorating more quickly nowadays. Sometimes his mind is a mess, other times, he is in a more coherent state of mind."

"Is there anything you can do to help him?" Count Mazuurek asked.

The attendant nodded. "We managed to develop a medicine to force a more clear state of mind on him for longer periods, but it comes at the cost of his health, so we've avoided using it. Any more doses might kill him if we're not careful."

Count Mazuurek nodded. "I see. I hope the Emperor stays well for as long as possible."

* * *

"Eh? She got ditched here?" Inko asked.

"'The captain left me in charge because she trusts me.' That's what she said, but Commander Mizusaki has got to be devastated." Nina said.

Alek, Calm, Inko, Nina, and Rayet were eating lunch at the same table, discussing Captain Magbaredge's choice to take Lieutenant Marito to the meeting.

"Why did she pick Lt. Marito of all people as her travelling companion?"

"Companion? More like escort, if you ask me." Calm said.

"What's this about Lt. Marito?" Dr. Yagarai asked as he walked in.

Alek looked up. "Oh hey, Dr. Yagarai."

Inko looked a tad bit embarrassed. "Well, it's just that Lt. Marito accompanied the captain to the briefing, so I thought it might be serious."

"Ah. With that Martian proclamation and all, the situation is definitely changing." Dr. Yagarai agreed. He looked at Alek. "Speaking of which, how are you feeling about it?"

Everyone knew he was a prince, so there was no point hiding that Alek was definitely bothered by the proclamation.

Alek sighed. "The Orbital Knights are going to be much more dangerous now. That speech was a huge boost of motivation to them."

"I can't believe the princess is getting married…" Calm said.

"That's what you're interested in?" Rayet and Alek asked at the same time.

"No, but look… isn't it possible that her change of heart was because someone around her felt that way?" He reached out for some of Rayet's food. "Like, she was seduced by him or something?"

Before he could try and poke at the food, he found his fork knocked out of his hand, another fork having caused him to lose his grip on his own utensil. He turned to see Alek's hand outstretched with a dangerous smile on his face.

"My bad. I was aiming for your hand. By the way, did you know that slandering royalty like that is punishable by limb amputation?" Alek asked in a dangerously sweet tone. "Talk about my sister like that again and I won't miss next time."

Calm pulled his hand back sheepishly. "Sorry."

"But we're not 100% sure that the Princess Asseylum who said that was the princess who spent time with us, right?"

"She's not." Alek said. "She's another princess. Half-sister, technically. For lack of less offensive terms, she's a royal bastard."

"A royal bastard?"

"Quite literally, yes. Lemrina Vers Envers. I managed to find that out during the skirmish with Marineros Base. She's the result of an indiscretion between my father and some woman on the Moon base."

Calm seemed more interested than he should be. "Huh. Royalty. Say, Alek, do you think you could hook me up with—"

"Finish that sentence and Dr. Yagarai is going to have to patch up that right hand of yours. I doubt you want your girlfriend hurt like that."

Everyone winced at the insult.

"Apply cold water to burned area." Rayet muttered under her breath.

* * *

"Countess Femieanne. It's a pleasure to speak with you."

"Likewise, Count Mazuurek. You wished to talk with me regarding Princess Asseylum's proclamation, did you not?" A young woman with reddish brown hair asked.

Count Mazuurek nodded to the newly established countess. "I did. Word was that you were dissatisfied with it, is that correct?"

"While I have to wonder how you came across that information, you are correct. Though it has more to do with the fact that this entire war has unsettled me ever since my mother lost her life. How many more lives will be lost?" The countess asked.

Count Mazuurek winced. "You have my condolences. However, that is not what I wished to talk to you about."

Countess Femieanne closed her eyes. "I see. You wish to oppose the new kingdom that Princess Asseylum wishes to establish?"

"Not quite. I simply believe that if it is to be established, it should be done through proper authorities. Not just declared like what the Princess has done." Count Mazuurek lied. In reality, he didn't wish for the establishment at all.

The countess snorted. "Proper authorities. Count Troyard has gone too far. A Terran should not be wielding that much power in Vers. Had the Princess been the leading authority in this creation, I would have backed it without a second thought. I cannot do anything, though. Count Troyard is unstoppable at this point."

Count Mazuurek hesitated. This was where he would be taking a huge risk. Probably his second biggest one after almost giving himself away to Count Barouhcruz. "What if there was a way for us to stop him?"

Countess Femieanne looked at him. "Are you privy to some knowledge that I am not?"

The count nodded. "If you are willing to listen, I can tell you of what I have learned during my time among the Terrans."

* * *

Slaine opened his eyes from his thoughts. _It's time. We learn the identity of the White Death soon._

Now that everything was in place for him, the only left was to confirm the identity of the White Death. In Slaine's mind, there was only person it could be.

Prince Aleksander.

While unsure as to how he would proceed, he had a few things already decided for the moment.

He opened up a communication channel to Harklight. "Address Count Orga, Countess Rafia, and Count Zebrin. Have them swear fealty and then prepare the operation."

"Yes, milord."

"Their first objective: Capture the White Death."

* * *

"Do you always have to pick on Calm?" Inko asked from where they were getting ready for the operation. "I don't remember the last time you actually gave him some sort of compliment."

"Sorry about that. I kind of just saw red when he started focusing on the fact that my sister is technically engaged and no other important info." Alek said. "It's an older brother thing."

"I can imagine." Inko said.

Alek sighed. "I'll apologize to him later."

"Are you still worried about your sister?" Inko asked.

"At this point, I'm worried about both of my sisters. It would be unfair to ignore Lemrina after knowing about her for a while."

"Why is that?"

The prince looked up in sadness. "I don't think Lemrina ever had the benefit of being able to interact with real family. It's probably made her bitter. It's funny, really. The three of us are all orphans, so to speak. Our parents are all dead. Father from Heaven's Fall, Mother from an illness that took her life not too long after Asseylum was born. I'm guessing Lemrina's mother died in Heaven's Fall as well. She probably grew up without any family, which, if I were to guess, made her jealous of us. Grandfather was always there for me and Asseylum. And we had each other."

"And you want to give her that? A family?" Inko asked.

Alek shook his head. "I want to give her a chance to break free from her constraints. Having her officially join the family would cause everyone to turn heads. They all know that my father and mother only had two children. The conclusion would be inevitable. I want to give her a fresh start. Where no one will look at her funny because she's the bastard child. Even having her on Earth would be to her benefit. No one knows her here, so no one will judge her based on her bloodline."

Inko smiled at him. "You really care for your family, don't you?"

Alek shrugged. "I care for a lot of things. My family, Vers, Earth. It wouldn't be fair to exclude."

"Even Calm?"

"Yes, even Calm."

"Then what about Slaine?" Inko asked.

Alek took a while to answer. "Slaine is an interesting case. I used to consider him one of my closest friends. Then I came to Earth. I guess it would be more accurate to say that he was one of my first friends, not my closest friends."

"Huh? Why is that?" Inko asked.

"There was no one to really guide me on Vers as to how to treat my friends. I just did what I thought was right. When I came to Earth, I didn't really interact with Slaine as much. You guys were there practically every day, after all. I made a mistake with him. I didn't treat him like I should have. It's probably part of what led to his betrayal."

"I'm sure you'll make things right somehow." Inko said.

"We'll see. For now, let's just focus on this next operation."

Alek's communicator suddenly sounded. He took a quick glance at it, smiling at the news.

 _The newly established Countess Femieanne will fight for you._

"One down, many more to go."

* * *

Countess Rafia smirked as she saw the kataphrakt that had come in. This was the moment that they were waiting for.

"The White Death has been spotted. Begin operation."

The countess began firing arrows at the kataphrakts, making them waste their bullets before switching to aiming at the White Death.

 _Because he doesn't have a lock on my position, he can't hit me. And because there's no significant sound when the Scandia fires its arrows, he has to rely on only his eyes to avoid the shots._

As she led the kataphrakts on with the Scandia, she noticed the smoke begin to invade the area. She frowned. _This is bad. At this rate, my position will be compromised by the smoke. I have to fall back for the moment._

At least, she thought she did until a communication channel opened up. "Countess Rafia. I am here to assist. Count Orga is on his way as well in a Landing Castle. He will arrive shortly."

The countess breathed a sigh of relief. "Your arrival is most appreciated, Count Zebrin. Shall we?"

* * *

 _Great. Two kataphrakts. Just my luck. Is that the Electris?_ Alek wondered.

"Alek, do you know anything about the new kataphrakt?"

"The Electris. As its name suggests, it utilizes electricity as its weapon, utilizing it both for offense and defense."

"Can you break through it?" Inaho asked.

Alek fired his railguns at the Electris. To his disappointment, they didn't make contact. "Negative. The defenses on the Electris are too strong for the railguns."

"What about the other weapons that you have on the Pegasus?"

"The railgun is the most powerful. If that doesn't work, then none of the other weapons will work."

Alek's radars suddenly signaled an alarm. As he looked up, he almost cursed. _Oh, come on!_

A Landing Castle was approaching rapidly. Alek heard Lt. Marito call out over the comms. "All units, brace for impact!"

Alek landed on the ground before finding. Contrary to popular belief, the Pegasus was not very durable without its shields. Up until recently, Alek had relied solely on his reflexes to keep the Pegasus from taking damage. He wasn't sure whether or not the Pegasus would be able to endure the blast from the Landing Castle without protection from buildings.

As soon as the shockwave subsided, he took to the air again, where he managed to see something very disconcerting.

"Did that kataphrakt just clone itself?"

"What?"

"There's another kataphrakt on the field. Bipedal, and appears to be able to clone itself."

Lt. Marito's voice came up again. "We have orders to fall back! Get everyone out now!"

"We're going to have trouble falling back as things stand. I'll hold them off for as long as possible and then catch up to you guys. Go!" Alek shouted.

While the kataphrakt squadrons ran to the landing crafts, Alek began firing energy bolts at the kataphrakts that had begun chasing them. On the upside, they weren't very durable. On the downside, there seemed to be no end to them.

 _I need to take down the original if I want to completely stop them. The energy wings can only take out so many at once._

Unfortunately for Alek, he would not have the energy wings for much longer. An arrow from the invisible kataphrakt took out one of the wings, forcing Alek to lower to the ground. A blast of electricity from the Electris destroyed the other wing, grounding Alek.

"Shit." _At least everyone got out alright._

Alek continued firing at the cloning kataphrakts before switching over to the vibration swords and cutting through the kataphrakts closest to him. At this point, he knew he was fighting a losing battle. But he was determined to make it out of this battle alive.

An arrow suddenly came from behind Alek, taking out the left arm of the Pegasus while a blast of electricity disabled the right arm.

Alek cursed as the cloning kataphrakts surrounded him and smashed through the legs, causing the Pegasus to fall to the ground.

A voice spoke out. "You fought well, Terran. But this ends here. Do not worry, you will live for now. Count Troyard will be the one to decide your fate later on."

Alek suddenly understood what was going on. _Slaine!_

* * *

When they finally got back to the Deucalion, Inko breathed a sigh of relief. _We made it._

Once all the kataphrakts were loaded into the hangar, Inko got out to look for Alek. She went over to the area where the Pegasus was maintained, only to be confused to see only Asplund, as well as Captain Magbaredge.

"He didn't come back?" The captain asked.

The scientist shook his head. "My screens told me that the wings on the Pegasus were disabled. It's very likely that he won't be able to make it back."

 _Won't be able to make it back? But he said that he would catch up with us._ "What do you mean? Is Alek alright?" Inko asked.

"That's the problem. We don't know." Captain Magbaredge said.

"I can tell you one thing though. The Pegasus hasn't been destroyed. Severely damaged, yes. But not destroyed. I installed a monitor a while back that tells me the condition of the Pegasus at all times. The pilot seat is still intact, though practically everything else has been either disabled or destroyed."

"So that means…" Inko asked, both fearing and hoping the news.

"Alek is still alive. But he's been captured by the enemy."

Inko's heart sank.

* * *

 **Yeah, invincibility is boring.**

 **What, you thought I was going to make everything easy because Alek had a supposedly unbeatable kataphrakt? Guess again.**

 **Meanwhile, Count Mazuurek continues to find allies for Alek.**


	20. Reunion

**This time around, I have a lot more open space to work with.**

* * *

Compared to the UFE bases, Alek thought that the Landing Castles had rather luxurious cells. He had access to decent bedding, which surprised him. While the room wasn't that big, it was still considerably sizable.

He heard the door open and saw and old count come in. Fortunately, Alek had his disguise active, so he wasn't recognized. He could do without the handcuffs, though.

"I trust that the accommodations are to your liking?" Count Orga asked.

Alek blinked, confused. "I'm surprised you that you're treating me like a guest, rather than a prisoner. Over at the UFE bases, this kind of hospitality would be reserved for allies, not enemies. If anything, I thought I was going to be subject to some kind of torture for wreaking so much havoc among the Orbital Knights."

"You refer to us as Orbital Knights." The count noted.

"I prefer to call things by their official terms. I dislike the use of derogatory slang."

"Hm. You're certainly more agreeable than I thought you would be. Do you think that you can talk your way out of here?"

Alek shrugged. "I can still try. Even if it's not likely."

Count Orga noted this quietly. "If you wish to know why you're not being tortured, it is because I find the use of such things distasteful. Besides, Count Troyard wishes for you to be delivered to him in a rather healthy state, Terran."

"Delivered?" Alek asked.

"That is all I have to say to you regarding that. I have a different question for you. How is it that your kataphrakt has an active Aldnoah drive? There shouldn't be any Terrans with the activation factor."

Alek knew he had to lie. So he did. "I don't know. I'm just the pilot. I didn't have anything to with the development of the kataphrakt. That was all done by other people."

"Hmm. I see. Interesting. Well, you'll be sent over to the moon base in a couple of hours. Do try to make yourself more presentable, as you will get the privilege of meeting Princess Asseylum in person."

Alek had to try very hard not to laugh at his situation. _Getting to meet Lemrina at last? I do suppose that's a privilege, in a sense. Granted, I could do without the handcuffs or being a prisoner._

* * *

Inko stared at the ground, feeling rather glum at the moment. Which wasn't too surprising.

"Are you feeling alright, Inko?" Yuki sat down next to her.

Inko shook her head. "Alek's been captured. They could be doing anything to him right now."

"We'll get him back. I know it." Yuki said. "Besides, he would never leave you all by yourself."

Inko nodded. "Thanks."

"Ah, there you are, Inko." Inaho came in. "The captain was looking for you."

"Eh? For me?" Inko asked.

Inaho nodded. "Alek's mechanic Asplund wants to talk to you."

"About what?"

"About being a test pilot for the Pegasus ground assault mode."

* * *

Slaine watched as the shuttle docked in the hangar. _So the pilot of the White Death is on that ship. The counts did their job well._

As its passengers disembarked, Slaine noticed the pilot walking down, a forlorn expression on his face. To the others, it seemed like he was a regular Terran like any other. However, Slaine recognized the disguise from years of speaking to its owner.

 _It really is Aleksander. So he's alive._ Slaine felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of him. He wasn't guilty for Aleksander's death.

He walked up to the escort. "Thank you for your effort. I will take things from here. You are free to go."

As they left, Slaine turned to Aleksander. "I wasn't sure you were alive until now."

Aleksander glared at him. "You have a lot of things to answer for, Slaine."

"Perhaps. I suppose you do as well, Aleksander. Come, I'll take you to your sister."

When they arrived at the viewing chamber where Lemrina was in disguise as Asseylum, she turned around. "Aleksander! You're alive!"

Aleksander paused. "You're handicapped."

"Well, yes. I suppose you can imagine why—"

"I can also imagine why you would use that disguise, Lemrina. It's not that hard to figure out."

Both Lemrina and Slaine flinched at that. _He knows about her?_

"How did you find out?" Lemrina asked.

"Count Saazbaum told me before he died. And I had a feeling that you weren't the real Asseylum from your first announcement, where you mentioned light refraction being the cause for all the blue on Earth."

"It's not?" Lemrina and Slaine asked at the same time.

Aleksander shook his head. "Nope. It's actually the result of an effect known as Rayleigh scattering. Basically, light particles get spread out due to molecules in the atmosphere. Blue particles get spread out the most, which is why the sky and sea seem to be blue. You really should have brushed up on your science, Slaine. And Lemrina, you can deactivate the disguise already."

Slaine was feeling rather embarrassed at the moment. "We take you here as a prisoner and here you are, already claiming an advantage over us."

Lemrina deactivated her disguise. "You truly are amazing, brother."

"That's beside the point. Where is Asseylum?" Aleksander asked.

Both of them went silent at this question. Slaine was the one who answered slowly. "In stasis. Her condition worsened recently. No visitors allowed."

"Oh…" Aleksander took a seat. "Is there a chance that she will recover?"

"Possibly. It is also possible that she will remain in that status indefinitely. No visitors allowed." Slaine said. "For now, this room will remain your prison. You will not leave this room without express permission."

"You're not worried that I might take Lemrina hostage?" Aleksander asked.

"I doubt you would ever want your family hurt like that." Slaine said, walking to the door.

Aleksander sighed. "I guess you know me well enough. May I ask you one more question, Slaine?"

"You may."

"Why establish this new kingdom?"

Slaine was quiet for a moment before leaving the room. "I have my reasons."

Aleksander narrowed his eyes at Slaine's retreating figure before turning to Lemrina. "I suppose I owe you an apology?"

Lemrina was confused. "What for?"

"For not being there for you like the older brother I should have been. It must have been hard on you, living without a family to lean on all this time."

"Apology accepted, I guess." Lemrina did not expect that to be the first thing Aleksander spoke to her about.

"You hate us, don't you?' The prince asked.

Lemrina narrowed her eyes. "It was hard not to, given that you and Asseylum lived a much better life than I did."

Aleksander hesitated for a moment. "If you don't mind, I wish to talk with you more. To get to know the sister that I never knew better. Is that alright with you?"

Lemrina nodded. "I suppose we could do so."

* * *

"Me? The pilot of the Pegasus?" Inko asked.

"We've been designing multiple variations to the Pegasus for a long time, now. Alek wanted multiple loadouts for different scenarios, though his preferred loadout was always the energy wings. The ground assault loadout is the most recent development. And by far the easiest to pilot." Asplund explained.

"Why me, though? Wouldn't Inaho have been a better pilot for it?"

Asplund's nose twitched in disdain. "While I certainly would have preferred Ensign Kaizuka for the pilot, he insists on using that hideous, outdated, orange nightmare of his. After him, your scores were the highest for kataphrakt simulation. And unlike the energy wings loadout, you won't have to worry as much about reaction time, which is the one area aside from accuracy where Alek is better than you."

Inko nodded slowly in understanding before wondering something else. "Did you construct another Pegasus? I thought there was only one in existence."

"We have spare Aldnoah bases that we construct the Pegasus around. We obtained them from the Landing Castle in Russia. Alek activated them a couple days ago as a precaution in case the Pegasus got destroyed. Which is how we know he's alive."

Inko was relieved. _At least he's still alive._

"So, how about it? Will you be a pilot for the Pegasus?" Asplund asked. "You have a couple of days to run through the simulations before we're sent to retake the territory we lost to those kataphrakts."

It didn't take very long for Inko to come to a decision. _If we're going to be retaking those territories, then by extension we'll be rescuing Alek._ "I'll do it."

"Splendid! Come now, you should start hitting the simulations. It'll be quite unlike anything you've ever experienced before."

* * *

"You are amenable to serving Count Troyard, then?" Count Barouhcruz asked Count Mazuurek.

"I wouldn't necessarily say that I am amenable to it, but I would most certainly be willing to."

Count Barouchcruz closed his eyes. "I see. I shall pass along word at once."

"You seem happier than usual, Count Barouhcruz. Did something happen?"

"Well, yes. You see, the White Death has been captured, along with its pilot."

Count Mazuurek forced himself not to flinch in surprise. "That is good news indeed. I imagine it must have been difficult."

"Only in planning. Count Orga, Countess Rafia, and Count Zebrin performed flawlessly in the operation."

"I see. Might I ask something of you?"

"What is it?"

"Would it be possible for me to have an audience with Count Troyard or Princess Asseylum?"

* * *

After making arrangements and closing off the communication channel, Count Mazuurek took in a long breath.

Hearing that Prince Aleksander had been captured was disconcerting, though. Part of him wanted to rescue the prince right away. The other part of him knew that he shouldn't be so hasty. If he messed up, all of their plans might fall apart on the spot.

His communicator suddenly sounded, a short message appearing on it.

 _Count Mazuurek, I am currently a prisoner on the moon base. However, I ask that you do not attempt to rescue me at this point in time._

 _Aside from Lemrina (the one posing as Asseylum), Slaine, and his servant Harklight, no one knows of my identity. It is possible that they do not wish to reveal this information at this time, though I have been careful as to avoid letting anyone see me out of my disguise. ._

 _Fortunately, no one has yet to realize that I carry a communicator on me and not some random Terran trinket._

 _Continue with your mission. Do not jeopardize it on something trivial. I am counting on you._

Count Mazuurek closed the message. It was relieving at the very least to hear that the prince was doing alright, though the fact that he had been captured was still concerning. Regardless, he now had his orders. He would carry them out.

* * *

"It doesn't make sense." Aleksander said.

"What doesn't?" Lemrina asked.

The two of them had spent the last couple of hours conversing, with Aleksander trying to learn more about her. It had gone decently well for the both of them, though they had avoided the topic of their father and Slaine. Aleksander decided to break that silence on Slaine.

"Your existence. I don't mean that in a bad way, but I just find it strange." Aleksander explained. "Father starts the first war because he wanted me to live in a better place. And then he has an indiscretion with your mother."

"It certainly is ironic, I agree." Lemrina agreed. "Though from what I've seen and heard, Father didn't seem to be that much of a family person. At least until Slaine told me the reason that the war was started."

Aleksander was surprised. "Slaine knows?"

She nodded. "Count Saazbaum was in possession of Father's journal, which he shared with Slaine. Slaine told me about it at a later time. I suppose Asseylum knew as well?"

Aleksander shook his head. "I never told her. And she never hinted that she even knew about it. In fact, no one should have known except for Mother and Grandfather. Grandfather only knew because I left Father's journal with him."

"I see… So what was it like, living on Earth for so long?" Lemrina asked.

Aleksander looked thoughtful. "What has Slaine already told you about Earth?"

Lemrina looked down. "Not as much as I wanted to hear. He's only told me about some of its natural wonders. Not about its people. All he would say about it was that Earth is inhabited by vulgar trash."

"Well, he's not completely wrong. There are some pretty terrible people on Earth. But you could also say the same about Vers. I've seen some people like that." Aleksander said. "But I digress. Living on Earth is amazing, to say the least. One of the biggest things that I've come to appreciate is the sky. While most people know it for its blue color, it takes on different shades of color as well, sometimes it's gray on cloudy days. During sunset and sunrise, it takes on a beautiful orange hue."

Lemrina listened, entranced by Aleksander's description. "What about the environment?" She asked.

"Oh, the environment… Hmm. There's a lot I could go on about. Where do you want to start?"

"How about flowers? Slaine has told me a bit about them."

"Flowers… oh, where do I start with them? Flowers bloom all around the year. Different flowers for different times. Ume blooms during late February and March, while Sakura blossoms from late March to mid-April. There are so many flowers that I couldn't even name them all. Autumn is when flowers fall off, but then, the leaves take on beautiful brown colors. In winter, plants lose leaves and flowers before the process repeats itself and they regain their beautiful colors." Aleksander stopped himself from continuing. "You're jealous, aren't you? That you never got to see these for yourself?"

Lemrina shook her head. "Once the new kingdom is established, I'll get the chance to go down to Earth. It shouldn't be much longer, now that you're here and not on the battlefield."

"I wouldn't be so sure. I may have been one of the most powerful units on the Terrans side, but you should never underestimate the tenacity of the Terrans. Or their capabilities. They are a resilient people, after all."

* * *

"No, I messed up again!"

Inko was frustrated. She had spent the last couple of hours in the simulations for the Pegasus, trying to get a hang for it. It wasn't going very well. She was only performing at about 60% of its capabilities.

Asplund, on the other hand, was unconcerned. "I don't get what it is with you people and trying to rush improvement. You're doing exceptionally. It took Alek two weeks to pilot the Pegasus at 60% of its capacity.

"We're going back into battle the day after tomorrow. I have to take any opportunity I can to improve piloting the Pegasus."

"If you try to rush things, you might miss out on something important. Take it at an easier pace. Alek won't be going anywhere anytime soon." Rayet came in. "You should eat some dinner. You've been here for eight hours now."

"Eight hours?" Inko was shocked. It had been that long?

"Yes, eight hours. Now, come on."

Inko relented. "I'll get back to the simulations first thing tomorrow morning."

As Rayet led the way, it occurred to her that she should say something. "Just remember. Alek wouldn't want you to die for his sake. Don't push yourself too hard, alright?"

Inko stopped for a moment. She had gotten so caught up in maximizing the chance that they could rescue Alek that she forgot about herself. Knowing Alek, he would be horrified if he understood the amount of stress he had put her under.

She nodded. "You're right. Thanks."

* * *

Falling for Slaine was a mistake. After the audience with Count Mazuurek, Lemrina couldn't help but be feel depressed, as Slaine continued to busy himself with other things that seemed to require his full attention.

She had cried earlier when she realized that Asseylum's hold on Slaine, regardless of whether or not it was intentional, had not lessened in the slightest.

Aleksander looked over as she arrived in the room, immediately noticing the streaks of tears. "Did something happen, Lemrina?"

Lemrina looked down at the ground. "Slaine's spends so much time at the Landing Castle now."

Her older brother frowned. "And? He's going forward with establishing this kingdom of his, right?"

"Yes. But that's with Asseylum at the forefront of it…" Lemrina said.

Aleksander blinked in surprise as he deduced what happened. "You're jealous of Asseylum. Jealous because she holds Slaine's heart and you don't. That's why he's making this kingdom, isn't he? He's doing it for her."

The princess nodded slowly. "Yet he doesn't seem to be expressing anything, even though her condition worsened recently."

Aleksander sighed. "I didn't really want to mention this, but I suppose someone has to."

"Mention what?" Lemrina asked.

"Slaine has this behavioral tic. When he lies, his eyes lose focus on the person he's talking to and gazes over to somewhere else."

"How do you know that?"

"Back on Vers, whenever he was punished, he would deny it in front of me. I got good at figuring out his habits."

Lemrina remembered one key moment where Slaine had done as Aleksander described. The moment when he had told her that Asseylum's condition had worsened.

It only took Lemrina a moment to make a decision. "Come with me."

Aleksander blinked in surprise. "I thought I was a prisoner here."

"I'll just call you my escort. No one will question it." Lemrina said. "Push my wheelchair."

"Sure. Where are we headed?" Aleksander asked.

"To where Asseylum's biotank is. It's where we've been keeping her alive. I'll lead the way."

"I thought Slaine said no visitors were allowed."

"He also had that expression that you described when he told me that Asseylum's condition had worsened."

Aleksander's eyes narrowed. "I see. Let's go."

When they got to the room where the biotank was usually kept, Aleksander looked curious. "Is it supposed to be empty?"

Lemrina looked uncomprehending for a second. "No… the biotank was supposed to have her body. The only reason it would be empty was if either she died or she woke up."

"And Slaine would be more melancholic if Asseylum had died, so…"

"Asseylum has woken up." Lemrina concluded.

* * *

Elsewhere, Asseylum Vers Allusia's memories had resurfaced. As she read the letter that had come with the necklace, she honed in on the three words that were without a doubt done in the handwriting of her brother.

 _I am alive._

* * *

 **Yeah, leave it to me to dash the hopes of a rescue mission. Events are a bit out of order this chapter, but I think you guys can live with it.**

 **Until next time!**

 **WX**


	21. Fortune and Misfortune

**Sorry for taking so long on this. Classes have been rather stressful.**

 **I don't think I've done an in-depth analysis of Inaho quite yet. I'll do a bit of that in this chapter.**

 **Will be referencing** _ **logically, decisively, truthfully**_ **by Ice of the Kitsune's Fire. I personally think that it's a decent character study of Inaho and recommend it to anyone who wants a nice, short read.**

* * *

"What do you plan to do?" Aleksander asked Lemrina, once they got back to the viewing area.

"I don't know yet." Lemrina said. "Slaine lied to us. To me."

Aleksander frowned. Lemrina was an interesting person. On one hand, she seemed to her emotions shut off from most of the world. On the other hand, she couldn't seem to keep them from affecting her judgement from time to time. After all, she was a human like everyone else. While Alek pretended that he didn't let his emotions affect his judgement, he knew it was quite the opposite. Had he ignored his emotions, he would have left Inko a long time ago. Emotions were what made him. Caring for others was at the very core of his being and for him to abandon the thing that embodied him so strongly was tantamount to suicide. As such, he wasn't quite sure what to do yet either.

A communication channel opened up. "Princess Lemrina, the invasion of Earth is proceeding without incident." Slaine's voice came through the channel.

"I see. I knew you could do it, Slaine."

Aleksander decided to stay quiet. No point adding to this conversation as far as he was concerned.

"Is Aleksander still there?" Slaine asked, surprised not to hear the prince speak.

"I'm here. No need to worry about your prisoner running off, Slaine." Aleksander said.

"Ah. I see. Regarding the invasion of Earth, could you perhaps say a few words to those Orbital Knights who distinguished themselves in battle?"

"You mean 'me', correct?" Lemrina asked.

"Yes. If Princess Asseylum were to honor their achievements, it would win over more Orbital Knights to our side."

"'Our' side?" Lemrina asked.

Slaine smiled. "Yes."

The princess remained quiet for a moment before answering Slaine. "Very well. Incidentally, Slaine, what is my sister's condition?"

"The reports say that she is still in critical condition."

"I see."

"For now, all we can do is have faith and entrust her to the medical staff."

"That's true. Let us pray for a quick recovery. You shouldn't dwell too much on it either, Slaine."

"Thank you for your kind words. Excuse me, but I must go." Slaine bowed before closing off the communication channel.

Lemrina sat there quietly before addressing Aleksander. "He didn't shift his gaze that time."

"He's staring at a screen. Not at you. It's much easier for people to lie when direct eye contact isn't necessary." Aleksander pointed out. "So what are you going to do now?"

It only took Lemrina a short moment to decide. "I'm going to the Landing Castle."

"To find Asseylum?" Aleksander asked.

"Yes."

Aleksander stood up. "I should go with you."

"Don't bother. There isn't any way that I could convince them to take you out of the Moon Base. Just stay here. I'll talk to you when I get back." Lemrina said.

As she left, Aleksander shook his head in slight amusement. "What is it with little sisters being obstinately stubborn?"

* * *

Inko braced herself as she continued to read through the manual for the Pegasus. While she had spent the last couple of days running through simulations, she couldn't help but be a bit nervous.

Unlike its aerial counterpart, the ground assault loadout of the Pegasus was retrofitted with much more weaponry. Asplund had gone all out in creating the ground assault loadout, installing chain guns along its arms, as well as two missile launchers on its back. Like its aerial counterpart, the ground assault loadout also had an energy bolt system in the form of two barrels on the shoulders of the Pegasus, which was superior in terms of firepower because it could be focused solely on firing, and not on flying. To finish off the ensemble of weapons, there were vibration blades on the backside of the chain guns so that the Pegasus wasn't vulnerable at close range.

 _It's almost ridiculous how much different this kataphrakt is from Alek's._ Inko thought wryly. _This thing is literally a little kid's dream come true._

"Inko. Conserve the missiles. If we don't manage to destroy the original Ortygia right away, we need them to clear out as many of the clones as we can at once." Inaho instructed.

Inko nodded. "Roger that." _Please be alright, Alek._

* * *

It didn't occur to most people, but Inaho really wanted to rescue Alek. There were three reasons for this. One of them was that Inko had looked downright miserable during the time that Alek had been kidnapped, so he wanted her to feel better about the whole situation. The second one, though, was much more logical.

Alek was the lynchpin to ending the war. After all, he was the centerpiece upon which Count Mazuurek's faction's loyalties lay. Without him, they were lost.

The third reason was much more personal for Inaho. Alek had promised that he would look for Seylum.

Inaho owed the princess. After all, she was the one who helped him to find his identity as a person, regardless of whether or not she did it intentionally. Before the war, Inaho had just been going through the motions of life. When the war began, the only real thoughts he had were in regard to the war effort and how to get through each and every fight as efficiently as possible. Then he had multiple opportunities to interact with Seylum.

He would never admit it to anyone, but he was drawn to the princess from the beginning. She was straightforward. Had been even when she pinned him down to ask him for information she needed. She had been willing to put herself in the line of fire to save people. And not just people she cared for. People she had no real connection to either were not exempt from her conviction. He wanted to protect that.

Then there was the time they had spent together. She was inquisitive, and he was more than willing to sate her curiosity, as learning things for the sake of learning was practically at the core of his being.

The last time they interacted before Alek's announcement, she had asked him a question that had almost shaken him to the core.

" _You're a kind person, aren't you? You are. After all this is over, we will remain friends, won't we?"_

" _Uh, sure."_

" _I'm glad."_

That was a first for Inaho. No one had ever called him kind before. Intelligent, yes. Antisocial or emotionless were two other words that was tossed around as well. Kind was not a word applied to him.

And then there was the fact that the princess was willing to be friends with him. Sure, Inaho had friends in the form of Alek, Calm, Inko, Nina, and more recently, Rayet, but the majority of them had known him for years, with Rayet being the one exception to that. People didn't normally just come to Inaho and ask to be friends.

What really struck home though, was the final moments they spent together. While it had been cut short by the untimely shots fired by Count Saazbaum, Seylum's words had resonated with him.

" _Sorry, I can't see very well… I have blood in my eyes."_

" _I'm right here, Inaho. I'm right here."_

Inaho wasn't quite sure when the moment was, but if he had to guess, the moment that Seylum had imprinted herself in his heart was that moment. She had refused to let go of his hand. And only relinquished her grip when she was rendered unable to by a shot to the head.

No one was quite sure where exactly the bullet had hit, but clearly it hadn't been able to kill the princess. Inaho was absolutely certain of it. He didn't know how or why, but he had a connection with Seylum of some sort. And that was enough for him.

Seylum had taken up a place in his heart, next to his sister. Alek had immediately assumed that it was love, but for Inaho, it was something much deeper. She was a part of him. No matter how illogical it was, how untrue on the physical level it may have been, she was a part of him. And he would not let her die. Not while he could help it.

As the field began lighting up with gunfire, he refocused.

 _First things first, we need to get this operation done._

* * *

When Lemrina came in, Aleksander noticed a difference immediately. Mainly because she was walking on her own feet. _Well, that's a thing._

He stood up right away, completely certain as to the identity of the person under the disguise. "Asseylum?"

He guessed right. Asseylum removed the disguise before embracing her brother. "Aleksander!"

Aleksander returned the gesture. "When did you get here?"

"Just now. Lemrina helped me out." Asseylum explained.

Aleksander let go of his sister. "Where is Lemrina now?"

"Calling Slaine to this room. She wants me to have the full picture of what's going on."

"Do you mind if I ask Slaine the questions? I'm still trying to figure out the full picture as well."

Asseylum nodded. "You probably have some other questions as well. How is everyone, by the way?"

Aleksander took a moment to answer. "Well, everyone on the Deucalion's still doing fine, though I think I might have Inko worried for the moment. I kind of did get captured, after all."

"What about Inaho?" Asseylum asked. "How is he? Is he alright?"

Asseylum was somewhat concerned with the silence. "Aleksander?"

"For the most part." The prince replied. "His left eye was shot out, so it got replaced with an analytical engine that utilizes his brain to make calculations on the fly."

"Oh… but he's fine, right?" Asseylum asked.

"I'm not sure. The big thing about the eye is that Inaho's been trying to increase its efficiency by expanding its reach on his brain. Problem is, it's bound to cause stress. No brain can handle that kind of information influx for an extended period of time."

When Asseylum's face took on a worried expression, Aleksander figured he went too far. "He should be alright once the war is over. I doubt someone as practical as him will keep something harmful to his health when he doesn't need it."

"But when will the war be over?" Asseylum asked.

"You already know the answer to that. Now come on, we need to ask Slaine some questions."

* * *

Inaho scanned the battlefield. The Electris and Scandia had been eliminated without too much trouble, though the casualty count had been higher than he expected. That was mainly due to the Scandia sharing its special abilities with the Electris. Now, it was just the Ortygias left. While he had told Inko at first to use the missiles to clear away the Ortygias, he had her hold off.

 _Strange. The moment that the cloning occurs, that physical state of the kataphrakt is perfectly preserved. I wonder…_

Inaho activated his comm. "Inko. Damage one of the Ortygias but don't destroy it. I'm building a hypothesis and I want to know if it's correct."

The moment that the Ortygia Inko damaged cloned itself, Inaho knew he was right. The Ortygia in question cloned itself with the damage part remaining how it was.

"So that's it. The Ortygia doesn't just clone the kataphrakt itself. It clones everything about it using quantum teleportation. In other words, the pilot is also cloned as well. Given that assessment, we have to destroy them all at once. Inko!"

"Yes!" Inko understood right away. "Beginning targeting sequence. Locking on to all Ortygias. I need everyone to group them into a cone so I can get them with the subsequent explosions if I have to."

"Leave that to me." Inaho said. "Control, slave all kataphrakts to me except the Pegasus! Inko, show me the target area and I'll eliminate all kataphrakts outside of it."

* * *

"You wished to speak with me, Princess Lemrina?" Slaine entered the room.

Instead of Lemrina saying something though, Aleksander took the initiative. "Slaine, explain yourself."

"Aleksander? What are you talking about?"

"That's Prince Aleksander to you. I'm not asking you as a friend. I'm ordering you as your future emperor. Now tell me, why did you lie to the two of us about Asseylum's condition. She's already woken up, hasn't she?"

Slaine was at a loss of words for a moment before replying. _How did he find out?_ "I thought I would have to tell you some day. It would be impossible to hide it from you forever."

"Not funny, Slaine. I want an explanation regarding your behavior which is unbecoming of an Orbital Knight."

Slaine frowned. He had never seen Aleksander act so official with him before. It had always been informal conversation between the two of them. "Princess Asseylum isn't quite herself yet. I need Princess Lemrina to portray her until she recovers her memories."

"Alright then, answer this question. What exactly are you trying to achieve by doing all this? You're not one for conquest simply because you want glory. So what is it?"

"I plan to create a new world."

"A new world?"

Slaine nodded before stepping forward. "Yes. A world free of worry. A world where conflict and suffering will not exist."

Aleksander snorted in disdain. "Surely you don't think it's possible to eliminate suffering and conflict, do you? And who would rule this world?"

"Your sister, Princess Asseylum. I thought that was rather clear." Slaine said.

"Do you really believe our sister wants such a thing?" Lemrina finally spoke up.

"I know she doesn't. That is why I will make it a reality and present it to her."

Aleksander glanced over at Lemrina, whose eyes seemed to have started watering up.

"Your Highnesses, do you know why wars break out?"

"They are… a means of negotiation between states."

Slaine thought he saw Aleksander crack a small smile, but chose to ignore it. "No. Wars break out because there is someone to fight against. To eliminate war, there are two options. Invade and assimilate, or utterly exterminate one's adversary so that only you remain. Mankind's history is a history of conflict. The very instant Mars split off from Earth, war was inevitable. Even if I had not, someone else eventually would have."

Both royals sat quietly as they processed what he said. Lemrina spoke first. "You are no longer the Slaine we once knew, are you?"

With that, she stood up. Slaine's mouth opened somewhat in surprise. _She shouldn't be able to stand in here, where the gravity isn't lowered. How is this possible?_

He had his answer a second later, as the disguise was removed, revealing the princess which he had started this entire war for. "Princess Asseylum…"

The door behind him opened. "I told her everything." Lemrina said, wheeling in with Eddelrittuo.

Slaine heard a gun suddenly cock behind him. "Slaine Troyard. I hereby order upon my authority as Crown Prince of Vers to cease all hostilities. Failure to comply will result in your stripping of all titles and deeds. Now, what say you?" Aleksander Vers Allusia asked.

* * *

For the first time in her life, Inko understood what it felt like to be Alek when he was in the Pegasus. That sense of power that could not be matched.

All the same, she still preferred piloting the Areion over the Pegasus. She couldn't really understand how Alek had managed to pilot the Pegasus so effectively for so long while she had only been able to put up a mediocre performance at best. Regardless of what Asplund had said about her piloting and how fast it improved, Inko thought she still had a long way to go.

Thankfully enough, targeting the enemies wasn't too difficult, as Inaho's assistance had been enough to cull the numbers of the enemy.

Inko began pressing buttons at a rapid pace. "All missiles locked onto targets, chain guns armed, energy cannons charged. Firing now!"

To everyone around her, it was the most amazing spectacle to watch. The Pegasus launched all its missiles at once, with chain bullets and energy bolts following not far behind. It was only five seconds later that the battlefield was completely clear of Ortygias and the Landing Castle lay available to invade in the distance.

Inko advanced up to the Landing Castle, leaving its captures to others as she took a moment to rest.

She breathed a sigh of relief. _Thank goodness. I managed to clear them out. Alek's safe now._

Her comm channel buzzed to life as Yuki's voice spoke through it. "Inko… Alek's not here."

She bolted up. "What?! Where is he?"

"At the Moon base. They moved him there after the capture. We managed to find the remains of the old Pegasus, but that's all they left here."

Once again, Inko's heart sank. She didn't let herself get down though. Even if Alek wasn't here, he was still alive. All they had to do was rescue him the next time they went to space.

 _I'll just keep on fighting until we can get him back. Until I can get him back. I still need to give him my answer, after all._

* * *

"Slaine, please put an end to this conflict." Asseylum implored the Count.

Slaine simply stood there, looking at the gun. "You understand what will happen if you miss, do you not, Prince Aleksander? If you miss, you risk hitting Eddelrittuo or Princess Lemrina. Are you sure you are willing to take that risk?"

"Slaine, I could be aiming from triple the distance and I could still hit you right between the eyes if I wanted. You're not in a position to bargain."

Slaine closed his eyes. "I see. Unfortunately, your Highness, I cannot follow your orders. You see, I am no longer a citizen of the Vers Empire. I'm sorry, but I'm going to take you into custody."

As he said this, the door opened again and three armed soldiers walked in. Aleksander's eyes widened as he realized the position he was in. _If I shoot Slaine right here and now, there is nothing guaranteeing the safety of any of us._

Aleksander grit his teeth in frustration before he emptied his gun of bullets and tossed it to Slaine. "Fine. Now what?"

* * *

Count Mazuurek looked at the counts assembled before him, feeling rather proud of himself. While it had been difficult to find people willing to listen, he had finally done it. Among the seven counts that he had managed to persuade, there were people of all ranges, with both men and women as well as older counts and younger. Much more than the original plan to recruit three.

He took a breath. "Thank you all for taking your time to listen to me. I am grateful for your help. Now, as you all know, Prince Aleksander Vers Allusia is alive. Our duty is to ensure that he reclaims his rightful place in Vers. That said, can I expect all of you to pledge your loyalties to him when the time comes?"

One of the older counts, Count Valerus nodded. "Certainly. With your proof of Prince Aleksander's survival, we cannot stand by."

"He is the rightful heir to the throne." Count Arlance agreed. "And what he has told you is not wrong. The Terrans are not all worthless people. Like you have said, they have a rich history. We cannot hope to conquer Earth and understand its history. There is much that they can show us, and us them."

Countess Femieanne nodded. "This war has gone on long enough. Count Mazuurek, we will stand with Prince Aleksander when the time comes. You can count on us to perform our duties."

Count Mazuurek bowed. "Thank you very much. I will take my leave now."

As the communication channels all winked out of existence, Count Mazuurek glanced over at the moon.

 _The time is nigh. Count Cruhteo should be arriving soon. Once he does, everything will be ready. All that will be left is the rescuing of Prince Aleksander and Princess Asseylum._

* * *

 **Man that took way longer than I thought.**

 **For all those who were disappointed with how little action Inko got, you have to remember: The variation of the Pegasus she was piloting was meant for raw destruction. If everything is unleashed at once, very little will remain.**

 **Plus as I've mentioned before, I'm god awful at writing action scenes.**

 **Until next time,**

 **WX**


	22. Moving Forward

**Quick note as to chapters: 24 chapters is definitely not enough. I'll probably extend it quite a bit. By how much, I'm not sure.**

* * *

There are two realities that Inko has to face. The first one is that Alek isn't around anymore. While talking with friends was fine, it just wasn't the same without Alek.

The second one is the possibility that she might become Empress in the future.

There was only one problem though. Inko wasn't sure how she could contribute to Vers. While she was an intelligent girl, she hadn't really found what she wanted to do in life. Her only experience in working was as a soldier, after all. It was essentially everyone's profession after the war started. Once the war ended, none of the drafted students knew what they were going to do. Well, except for Calm and Nina. After all, mechanics and pilots were always useful. Soldiers during peacetime, not so much. Though she supposed she could use her skills in piloting in other areas.

And it wasn't like Inko wanted to be in the military for the rest of her life. Surely there was more for her to do besides sit around and hope nothing would ever come back to shoot at them.

When she went into the hangar, she was surprised to see a different kataphrakt where Alek's kataphrakt had once stood, though it appeared to be unfinished. "That's not the Pegasus…"

Asplund shook his head. "It's not. Don't worry about being a pilot for it, you're going to be piloting the boring old Areion that everyone else is piloting, thanks to your utterly insensible request. This kataphrakt is going to be Alek's once he gets back. It will be my greatest creation yet."

Inko blinked. "Once he gets back?"

Asplund looked at Inko in utter shock, as if she had grown a second head out of nowhere. "What, did you think that he was going to stay captured forever? This is Alek we're talking about. He'll escape, with or without our help."

Now, Inko could make one good assessment out of this. Clearly, something was wrong with her if even Asplund, the most cynical and antisocial person she knew, had confidence that Alek would return.

"Of course, he might just die in the escape attempt. You never know."

Ah, there was the cynicism he was famous for. At the same time, it made Inko feel a bit better about the situation, because it was exactly what she needed: encouragement to keep herself from being the worrywart that she naturally was. She did notice one thing about the new kataphrakt being designed. _It looks like it was based off one of those gundam animes…_

That still left the other question in mind.

What exactly was she going to do if she became Empress? And what steps would she even take to get to that point?

She resisted the urge to pull at her hair in exasperation. _Why can't this be easier?_

* * *

Aleksander groaned in frustration. "I can't believe he actually got away with that."

"I'm sorry, Prince Aleksander. I wasn't careful enough." Eddelrittuo tried to apologize.

"I'll figure out something." Aleksander waved his hand in dismissal.

"And really, this is all my fault. This whole situation began with me." Asseylum said.

Lemrina looked out the window. "You're right. If you had not woken up, things would have gone smoothly. And he would not have been so corrupted."

"What an encouraging little sister you are." Aleksander muttered under his breath, irritation flitting across his face.

Asseylum, on the other hand, seemed to have something else in mind. "You really care for Slaine, don't you?" She smiled at Lemrina. A genuine one.

 _Right. How could I forget? Asseylum doesn't have a single mean bone in her body. I don't think it's even possible for her to insult someone. Tease, definitely. Even if people are mean to her, she can't bring herself to retaliate._

"And what about you? Who do you care for?" Lemrina asked, almost furious at Asseylum's inability to retaliate.

Asseylum stayed quiet for a short while before giving the answer she and Aleksander had ingrained into their body. "My heart belongs to Vers and the people who live there. That is what I have been taught and how I have lived my life."

"And you, Aleksander?" Lemrina turned to her brother. "Who do you care for? Don't give me the same answer that Asseylum gave. You've been gone from Vers too long to have that same answer."

The Crown Prince was slow to respond as he pieced together his answer to his sister's query. "You would be right in saying that my answer is not the same as Asseylum's. However, that does not mean I do not care for Vers. It's just that my care extends to Earth also. Earth has suffered greatly in this war while Vers has not had even a single scratch laid on it. I intend to bridge the gap and build up a relationship that will last for generations, if not forever."

Lemrina almost snorted in disdain. "Those are lofty ideals, dear brother."

Aleksander sighed before pulling out a notepad to jot some things down while they had nothing to do. "Doesn't mean I shouldn't try to aim for it."

"What are you doing, Aleksander?"

"Figuring out negotiations that will need to happen between Vers and Earth for there to be lasting peace between the two planets."

"You're still going on about that even though the chances of there ever being peace are nonexistent?" Lemrina asked incredulously.

"That's where you're wrong, Lemrina. There will be peace. It's just a question of when and how it happens. And I intend to make it happen on my terms."

"Despite the fact that you're stuck in here like the rest of us with no real way to get out." Aleksander's half-sister replied dryly. "I'm starting to wonder if all that time you spent on Earth has made you stupid."

Aleksander let out an uncharacteristic snort. "Hardly. We're escaping. We just need to figure out when. Now either of you going to help me draft up new laws and organizations to put in place once we get out or am I going to have to do everything myself?"

"I'll help." Asseylum took a look at the notepad. "So one of the first things you're going to do is establish embassies on both Earth and Vers?"

"That's right. It's important that we have a constant flow of communication between Vers and Earth. Having an embassy on only Earth isn't that useful. If we only hear about problems from Earth and they don't hear about problems from Vers, there's going to be a disproportionate exchange of information. Any other ideas?"

Asseylum seemed to have a thought. "This isn't exactly something to necessarily help improve relations, but I think we should have a coronation ceremony."

Aleksander looked at his sister, somewhat curious. "Go on."

* * *

"Amifumi, we need to talk." Captain Magbaredge got Inko's attention.

Inko turned to her. "Captain? What's going on?"

Right after the briefing on their newest mission, which was to attack the Vers Moon Base and the nearby landing castle, the captain had searched out Inko, intent on giving her new orders.

"You and Kaizuka Jr. will not be taking part in the upcoming battle. I have a different mission for the two of you."

"Huh?" Inko expressed her confusion. "What mission?"

"Prevent the assassination of Princess Asseylum and the rescue of Ensign Audet and said princess."

That got Inko's attention. "We're going to rescue them?"

"To be more accurate, Kaizuka Jr. is going to infiltrate the Moon Base while you keep watch as a lookout. I can depend on you for this, right?"

Inko was almost too excited at the notion of having Alek back. "Of course! But why am I not going in the Moon Base as well?"

The captain explained. "Do you think Kaizuka Jr. would be willing to ask for help?"

Inko sighed. She knew Inaho well enough. "No, I suppose not. I'll keep watch, I guess."

Had she known that she was going to get shot at by no less than ten Stygis fighters, she might have reconsidered.

* * *

Klancain looked out the window while he waited for Slaine to arrive. According to Count Mazuurek, who had contacted him earlier, Prince Aleksander was alive and currently on the Moon Base, though as a prisoner.

The count had told him to look for an opportunity to find the prince and princess before meeting up in Castle Mazuurek, and Klancain had complied.

As someone loyal to the royal family and a friend of Prince Aleksander's, there was nothing less he could do for them.

It had been somewhat trying for him when he had a good look at his father's kataphrakt, as it was a solid reminder that his father was dead.

That was a point that was still unclear. No one knew how the late Count Cruhteo had died. And those who might know either said nothing about it or were dead. The one person who would have the best idea was Slaine, but no one had bothered to ask Count Cruhteo's former charge any questions regarding the demise of the man most loyal to the empire.

His musings were interrupted when he heard the door open with Slaine walking through it. "My apologies for the delay. As I understand it, you have come all this way to offer your condolences regarding my father, Count Saazbaum."

In a way, Klancain was almost jealous of Slaine. His father had spent more time with the terran than Klancain had in recent years. Granted, he could also say the same of Prince Aleksander, though his father had told him that the prince had asked about him very frequently, which made sense. It wouldn't have been out of character for the prince to have tried to be friends with him.

Klancain expressed none of that as he faced Slaine, a pleasant expression on his face. "We are quite a way from Vers. Congratulations for your succession are also long overdue, Count Troyard."

Slaine was prompt in replying. "No, I must apologize for not congratulating you on your own succession, Count Cruhteo."

Now that made Klancain uncomfortable. "Klancain is fine. I am still unaccustomed to the title."

"As you wish, then." Slaine replied. "Princess Asseylum was looking forward to seeing you again after so long, but…"

Klancain frowned. "I hear she has been out of sorts."

"It's nothing serious, but one cannot be too careful." Slaine motioned to the seat.

While Klancain wanted to make a move soon, he also knew he had to be careful. One wrong step and everything could blow up in his face. Knowing this, he continued with the pleasantries.

"I am most indebted to your father."

Klancain smiled somewhat lightly. "He was not too hard on you? He was a man who was stern to a fault."

"I learned a great many lessons from him. I would not be the man I am today if not for him." Slaine replied before suddenly remembering something, pulling a ring out of his pocket. "Your father gave this to me a while back. I think it would only be appropriate that I return it to its proper owner."

It was impossible for Klancain to not recognize the signet ring that Slaine had handed him. "How did you get this ring? I thought it was in the possession of Prince Aleksander."

At this, Slaine's expression turned melancholic. "Prince Aleksander handed me the ring a while back in order to send a message to your father. That was before his… demise."

Klancain frowned deeply. This was the one thing he wanted to know. "How did my father die?"

Slaine chose his words very carefully. "When we were to launch the Landing Castle into orbit before landing in Russia to pick up Prince Aleksander and Princess Asseylum, we were attacked. I don't know who it was that attacked us, but Count Saazbaum told me I was the only survivor in the attack. He followed up on our plan to rescue the prince and princess, but we were too late to save Prince Aleksander."

"… I see." Klancain stared down at his teacup before continuing to talk. "I saw the Tharsis. I am glad that it is of some use to you, Count Troyard."

He continued. "I heard while en route to here. Something to the effect that you were going to found a new kingdom here?"

Slaine looked downward. "It was Princess Asseylum's wish."

"Was it also His Majesty's?" Klancain asked. "Or Prince Aleksander's?"

At this, Slaine seemed to look out the window. "Prince Aleksander is gone. And with it, whatever dream he held. It was due to my incompetence that he died. Because of me, he will not see his sister's dream come to fruition. I can only hope that the Emperor will be able to see the Princess' dream realized."

"There is nothing to worry about. Our top medical teams are taking care of him." Klancain said.

Slaine let himself smile. "I see. That is reassuring to hear. It would help us greatly if you were to lend us your support, Count Klancain."

Before Klancain could give an answer, the alarm sounded off in the base.

* * *

When the battle started, Aleksander looked out the window at the explosions, frowning. "Something doesn't seem right about this."

"You mean besides the fact that it's a battle right outside the Moon Base? Doesn't that seem off already?" Lemrina asked.

Aleksander shook his head. "Well, yes. There's that little tidbit. But there's something else that bothers me. Why would the UFE attack the Moon Base like this without much chance of actually taking it over? It makes no— oh no."

"Aleksander? What's wrong?" Asseylum asked.

Aleksander took a deep breath, utterly hating his conclusion. "The force outside is a distraction. The real mission is for them to infiltrate the base. Possibly to sabotage the base, though I personally think it's more likely that they're here for an assassination mission. And there are only two people in this structure that they might be actively seeking. The first one is Slaine, the second one is you. And you're probably the higher priority target."

At that moment, the door opened and a group of guards ran in. "Come with us. Hurry!"

Seeing as they were armed and none of the royal family were in the mood to complain after Aleksander's explanation, they complied and ran along with the guards. Well, in Lemrina's case, rolled along in her wheelchair. She couldn't really run when she was disabled, after all.

Asseylum had nothing to say, as her brother's explanation of what happened made more than enough sense.

Unfortunately, said explanation did not have the power to actually prevent said strike team from invading the Moon Base and attempting to kill the royals. Which was what happened after they turned a corridor, as a small strike team opened fire on them.

Aleksander reacted quickly, pushing Asseylum, Lemrina, and Eddelrittuo to the ground while shifting Lemrina's wheelchair to provide some protection from the bullets.

The guards also acted, moving up front and closing off the hallway so that the strike team couldn't get through, though at the cost of their lives.

/Seeing as the route they had been going had been cut off, the four of them started running the other direction.

In the ensuing chaos, no one noticed that Slaine's necklace had been dropped.

* * *

Lemrina could not understand her siblings. If anything, they seemed to confuse her the more she stayed with them.

Aleksander seemed to have his head in the clouds with his plans for reforming Vers starting from the bottom, despite the fact that such a project wasn't likely to be finished in his lifetime.

Asseylum, on the other hand, seemed to have a problem with self-preservation, as she seemed to have no heed for her own protection. Rather, it was Aleksander who did all the protecting for the two of them.

As they continued to roll down the hallway, Lemrina decided to ask the question. "Why would you help me?"

Lemrina had opposed them ever since she was first brought into the plot to impersonate her sister, inciting war sentiments in the Orbital Knights. In fact, someone like her would have been a threat in the world that Aleksander planned to create.

Aleksander was quick to respond. "You're part of our family. That's why."

"Do you really think that someone like me would be accepted by Vers? I've deceived people for the sake of continuing a war that neither of you wanted to continue, I still have reason to hate both of you, and none of the Orbital Knights would ever look kindly on me as the bastard child of our father." Lemrina said.

Her brother looked back at her. "Who said anything about you being introduced to the royal family?"

Lemrina looked up at her brother in confusion. "What?"

As they kept going down the hall, Aleksander explained. "After this war ends, you can go wherever you want. I know a couple of doctors down on Earth that may be able to help with your disability, and you can start a whole new life for yourself if you want to, free of royal constraints or responsibilities. You can be your own person, free of even the blood that runs through your veins."

It took a while for Lemrina to digest the idea. While she found the sound of it appealing, she still had some thoughts about it. "How arrogant."

"Is it really arrogant of someone like me to want the best for his family?" Aleksander's face softened a bit. "You don't have to live in this prison anymore, Lemrina. You can go out and see the world. See Earth for all its glories once the war ends."

"And where would we go while the war is still going on?" Lemrina was sorely tempted to stop her wheelchair where it was, if only because this was the only safe place she knew.

Aleksander smiled lightly. "There is a group of counts and countesses out there who are loyal to me. It's not like we would be unable to stay in one of their Landing Castles."

Lemrina decided not to stop her wheelchair. _I suppose I can go along with them for now._

* * *

Inaho looked around the hangar, uncertain as to where to go. "Where could they be? Do another search."

As the analytical engine in his eye began downloading more data, a bullet grazed Inaho's arm, injuring him. Inaho responded by diving behind cover.

Slaine's voice echoed in the room. "I didn't expect to see you here as well, Inaho Kaizuka."

"Slaine Troyard…"

After a brief exchange of gunfire, Inaho made his way behind some cover, visualizing the map that his analytical engine created. He knew where he had to go, it was just that Slaine was in the way. Still, it was convenient in its own way. Inaho could ask Slaine a couple questions.

"Where are Seylum and Alek? Where are the prince and princess? Don't get them involved!"

Slaine paused for a moment. "Involved? They are merely a means to an end. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Despite the fact that Aleksander was your friend?" Inaho asked.

That gave Slaine some pause. "Maybe. But what is that to you?"

"Help me, Slaine Troyard. We need to save the two of them. I know where they might be." Inaho asked. "Even if we have different plans, neither of us want the prince or princess to die."

Now that was something that made Slaine reconsider for a second. Could he trust the terran boy that he had fought with a long time ago? Did he really have a choice? _Is he really my enemy?_

Weighing his options, Slaine relented. "Go. I'll hold off the strike team here."

"Thank you." Inaho darted off through the hallway.

"I still hate you."

Slaine quickly made his way to the Tharsis, powering it up and waiting for the strike team to arrive. As the seconds passed by, the implication of Slaine's actions crashed down on him. _I let someone else go rescue them. Why?_

Maybe it was because Slaine implicitly trust someone who had been with the prince for so long. Maybe it was because they had worked together in the past to protect the princess. Maybe there was some other reason he was not aware of.

While Slaine would have loved to continue figuring out the reason for his actions, he had work to do.

* * *

Aleksander, Asseylum, Lemrina and Eddelrittuo hid behind a corner, waiting for the UE strike teams to pass by. While they had been fortunate enough so far not to encounter anyone else, their luck couldn't possibly last. Once the last of the soldiers ran past, they ran down the hallway.

Or so they thought. One of the soldiers turned the corner to find them and started opening fire.

 _Shit!_ While Aleksander managed to get everyone down and close off the hallway, a bullet grazed his collarbone. While it was far from the worst place to get hit, it was hardly the best place to get hit either.

"Aleksander, are you alright?" Asseylum almost went into a panic.

Aleksander shrugged. "I'll live. How is everyone else?"

As Eddelrittuo helped Lemrina get back in her wheelchair, she did a quick check. "We're all safe. No one got hurt."

As Aleksander breathed a sigh of relief, he heard a set of footsteps coming towards them. Turning towards the source of the sound, he noticed that the owner of the footsteps was wearing a white spacesuit, not the black one that all the strike teams had been wearing.

"Who are you?" Aleksander asked, eyes narrowing at the approaching figure.

"Alek?" A familiar voice asked.

Aleksander flinched. He hadn't heard that voice in a while. "Inaho?"

"Inaho!" Beside him, Asseylum had a huge smile on her face.

Lemrina just eyed him cautiously while Eddelrittuo frowned at the familiarity.

Inaho smiled. "Seylum… Thank goodness. I made it… in… time." As he said those last words, he collapsed the ground, losing consciousness.

"Inaho!"

Asseylum rolled Inaho over, trying to get him to wake up when his left eye suddenly opened. She sighed in relief until and began to talk to him. "Inaho—"

"Princess Asseylum Vers Allusia and Prince Aleksander Vers Allusia, identity confirmed."

"Inaho?" Asseylum was scared.

Aleksander slapped his head in frustration. "You have got to be kidding me. How are you talking and not Inaho?"

"Aleksander?" His sister asked.

"Remember what I told you about Inaho having an analytical engine where his left eye used to be? That is what I was talking about." Aleksander motioned to the open eye. "I have no idea how, but the engine has taken control of Inaho's movements."

"The thought processes of Inaho Kaizuka have stopped. As such, backup programs are now running. Now assuming temporary control over Inaho Kaizuka's thought processes, speech patterns, and awareness."

Asseylum stared, somewhat entranced, somewhat horrified. "What are you doing to Inaho?"

The engine ignored her and continued talking. "Even though he is aware that Princess Asseylum is a separate individual, he misidentifies her as a part of himself."

"Part of himself?"

"He therefore placed maximum priority on her safety and has acted to protect her."

Asseylum's eyes widened a bit. "He came to rescue me?"

"Really feeling the love here, Inaho." Aleksander muttered sarcastically, pretending to sound insulted.

"Will provide information in accordance with those behavioral principles. Use the communications in the F3 gate airlock to contact Inko Amifumi."

"Inko's here?"

"And the crew of the Deucalion?" Asseylum asked.

Eddelrittuo turned to the royals. "I know where that is. Let's go, milord, milady."

"But we can't leave Inaho here—"

"There is no cause for concern." The analytical engine continued. "In 420 seconds, help will arrive."

Aleksander sighed. "Not happening. We're taking you with us, Inaho."

"But he said help was coming…"

"And knowing Inaho, he's lying about the help and actually decided to move in on his own. There's no backup that's here for him." Aleksander said, hefting Inaho over his shoulder. "Am I wrong?"

The analytical engine stayed silent for only a moment. "You are not. However, you may not be able to make it to the airlock in time if you are carrying Inaho's body."

"We have Lemrina in a wheelchair and Asseylum in a dress. We're hardly moving that fast as it is. And carrying you isn't even on the list of things that I can't do. I'm taking our chances. Let's go."

While on the way to the airlock, Lemrina had a couple of questions. "Who is this boy?"

"Who, Inaho?" Aleksander asked. "He's a friend of mine from Earth. He's somewhat bad at communicating emotions across, but he's a good person."

Asseylum added her own bit. "He was the first terran I met when I came to Earth. He taught me much about it as well, taking time to explain a lot of things to me as well as being there when Aleksander wasn't around."

"I see…" Lemrina looked down. _Could I find a friend like that one day?_

They managed to reach the airlock without incident, though the same could not be said about when they were waiting inside the airlock.

"Princess Asseylum, I presume?" An unfamiliar voice asked. "Prepare to die."

As Aleksander turned around and saw the UFE strike team member, his eyes widened in horror. _I don't have a way to defend us._

Thankfully enough, he didn't have to, as a gunshot was fired into the air before an unknown figure took out the soldier.

The figure stood up. "Are you alright, your Highnesses?"

Aleksander resisted the urge to grin, though a smile found its way to his face. "Klancain. It's good to see you again."

"Klancain… Count Cruhteo's son?"

"It's good to see you as well, Prince Aleksander, Princess Asseylum. I am glad that you remember me, and am even more glad that I was able to rescue the two of you." Klancain smiled while taking a knee.

Aleksander frowned for a moment. "How did you know we were— Count Mazuurek, right?"

"Yes, your Highness." Klancain remained kneeling.

"Oh for the love of— no time for formalities, we're heading towards the hangar now." While Aleksander would have preferred that Count Mazuurek follow his orders regarding rescue, he could not complain about the situation.

"Will we be heading to Castle Mazuurek after we launch?" Klancain asked as they ran down to hall.

This time, Aleksander let a small grin form on his face. "That's a given. Come, Klancain. It's time we ended this war.

* * *

 **Sheesh. I put this off for so long.**

 **Either way, I'm back… for temporarily. Not quite sure how long that is. Do I plan to finish? Yes. Will it be done on a schedule? No.**

 **Also, Inaho not being left behind will have some but not much impact. Lemrina on the other hand will, as Slaine no longer has the ability to distribute the Aldnoah activation factor to people. However, that's not the biggest task I have.**

 **What's going to take the largest part of my time is visualizing policy changes that I would apply to Vers. For that bit, I would appreciate it if people would be willing to shoot me PM's with ideas for policy changes and why you would apply them. Maybe argue a little while discussing pros and cons of said policy changes.**

 **R &R as always, don't hold back on the insults (as long as they're constructive). **

**WX**


	23. Resolution

**EDIT: Made a quick fix in mini-errors**

 **Did not expect to finish this chapter so quickly.**

 **I'm either going to have the most fun writing this chapter or the next few. Depends on when I get started on Vers policy changes. I am quite excited for it.**

* * *

Escaping the Moon Base was a bit less of a struggle than Aleksander thought it would be. While the terran assassination team had all found their way there, they were surrounded by on all sides by Vers soldiers, which allowed the Aleksander's group to escape to Klancain's ship.

Once they got on, Klancain ordered an emergency launch. During that time, Aleksander set Inaho down in a chair.

Once they were a safe distance away, Klancain turned to his prince. "Your highness, who is this?"

Aleksander had a light smile on his face. "This is Inaho Kaizuka. A terran I befriended on Earth. He's been a good friend to me during my stay there."

"Yet he also infiltrated the base. Why?"

"Believe it or not, to rescue us. Asseylum really made an impression on him when she was on Earth."

Asseylum smiled sadly. "He prioritized my safety above his own. He taught me all about Earth, and stayed with me when Aleksander wasn't nearby."

Nearby, Eddelrittuo huffed in disapproval, clearly still miffed at the idea of Inaho getting close in any way, shape or form to her princess.

Inaho stirred, getting up slowly before asking weakly. "Where am I?"

"You are aboard the Hadriacus, personal ship of Klancain." Aleksander said.

"Alek…"

"How are you?"

Inaho struggled to get up for a second, but Alek kept him in the chair. "I need to go."

Aleksander frowned. "No. You're injured, your brain is probably on fire, and only God knows what kind of damage that analytical engine has done to you. Take a rest."

"That's not the thing. Inko is waiting for me to return. That's our signal to return to the Deucalion."

Before they could continue, the Hadriacus received a signal from the Moon Base.

"Count Klancain, a transmission is coming."

"Put it through."

Slaine's face appeared on the communication channel. "Count Klancain, where are you taking the prince and princess?"

"Ah, Lord Troyard. I am currently in the process of evacuating them in order to keep them from harm."

"The moon base is a fortified installation. There is no safer place."

Aleksander stood up before the screen. "And yet, I can count no less than two occasions where we almost died. As such, it is only prudent that we leave from a place that will undoubtedly become prone to attacks in the future."

Slaine found it difficult to counter the prince's argument. However, he did notice something else regarding the people on the ship. "I see Inaho Kaizuka found you."

"Slaine Troyard…"

Aleksander blinked in surprise. "Did you let him by?"

"Yes."

"Why? I thought you hated him, given that you were the one who shot him."

Slaine hesitated for a second, though Inaho decided to cut in. "Our goals in keeping you safe coincided. Nothing more, nothing less."

"I see." Aleksander looked straight at Slaine. "No matter how much you may dislike it, you will have to let us go, Slaine. We are not going back to the Moon Base simply because you ask us to."

It was at that point that Slaine noticed Lemrina in the room. "Princess Lemrina?"

Lemrina smiled almost sadly. "Hello, Slaine."

"You went with them?"

"Aleksander can be very convincing."

Slaine almost cracked a smile. "I'm sure he is." After all, he had once found himself affected by that same charisma.

"Isn't it enough though, Slaine? You no longer have a way to give the Aldnoah activation factor to people."

"And what do you suggest I do, Prince Aleksander? My hands are too far stained in blood for me to stop."

"And that's where you're wrong. No one is too far beyond redemption." Aleksander's face softened for a bit. "Work with me, Slaine. Help me realize the dream of a united Earth and Vers. Help me create a world where everyone can live in peace. Where no one will ever have to cry again because of war."

Slaine paused for a moment. "I will consider it…" With that, he closed off the communication channel.

Aleksander sighed before turning to Klancain. "Do you have any small transports on this ship?"

Klancain blinked. "Well, we have a sky carrier modified for travelling through space."

"Perfect. Can you lend it to me for a bit?"

"Of course, but why?"

Aleksander looked at Inaho. "I need to take Inaho here back to the Deucalion. He's in no shape to take himself back. I'll meet you at Castle Mazuurek."

Klancain nodded. "Of course… but are you sure you wish to do it yourself, your Highness?"

Aleksander smiled lightly. "You might want to remember that I used to live on Earth. I need to talk to some people on the Deucalion before I meet up with you. Continue to Castle Mazuurek with my sisters and tell him that I'll be there soon."

"Yes, your Highness."

"Oh, and one last thing? Drop the formality. I only use it for people I dislike. As far as I'm concerned, friends should not have to address each other by their formal titles."

Klancain had to struggle for a bit. "Of course, your High— Aleksander."

Inaho struggled to get up for a bit before Asseylum helped him. "Stay safe, Inaho."

Inaho smiled weakly as Asseylum placed her hand on his cheek. "Thank you, Seylum."

"Right, I'm going to pretend I didn't just see that." Everyone noticed Aleksander looking the other way as the interaction between Asseylum and Inaho occurred.

As Alek was about to leave with Inaho, he paused for a second. "Do you want to come along as well, Lemrina?"

Lemrina blinked in surprise. "Why?"

"Well, I can't imagine you would want to deal with more nobles while not in disguise. Not to mention said disguise would raise a lot of eyebrows, especially since Asseylum is already here. It's also a nice way to interact with some people from Earth who I know aren't despicable." Aleksander said. "Really, it's up to you, but you might find this slightly better than just going to Castle Mazuurek."

"I'll go." Lemrina said.

Aleksander blinked. "Really? I thought it was going to take more convincing, but I guess not."

As the three of them got into the sky carrier, Asseylum arrived to see them off, along with Eddelrittuo.

Turning first to Lemrina, she gave her a small hug. "I hope one day we'll be able to just talk without worrying about anything."

Lemrina hugged her back. "Count on it."

After embracing Lemrina, Asseylum turned to Inaho, almost hesitating to say what was on her mind before going for it. "Inaho, I also think of you as part of myself."

Four pairs of eyes widened in shock before Aleksander clapped his hands. "Right! Let's go, then."

After he ushered his passengers into the sky carrier, he turned to his sister. "Please don't give me a heart attack and tell me that I should be expecting a happy announcement soon."

"Happy announcement?" Asseylum asked, confused.

"Never mind. Nothing to worry about." Aleksander kissed her on the forehead. "I'll see you soon, alright?"

With that, he got in the sky carrier. "Alright, launching now."

As they flew through space, Lemrina couldn't help but ask the question on her mind. "What exactly did you mean by happy announcement?"

Inaho answered for her. "A happy announcement is usually used to reference an upcoming momentous event, usually in the form of a pregnancy or an engagement, though I'm not certain as to why Alek would have asked Seylum a question like that."

It took everything in Lemrina's power not to laugh. _No wonder Aleksander looked so panicked._

* * *

Inko was starting to worry. She hadn't gotten a single call from Inaho, and Captain Magbaredge had just called for a retreat. She was starting to think that Inaho hadn't made it when she picked up something on her radar, along with a familiar voice.

"This is Pegasus. Does anyone from the UFE read me? Repeat, this is Pegasus."

Inko opened up a channel right away. "Alek!"

"Inko? Is that you? Is Inaho's kataphrakt close to you?"

"Yes, but why?"

"I'll explain in a bit. I'm coming in a sky carrier right now, so could you tell the captain to expect me and have a medical squad ready? I'll grab Inaho's kataphrakt and then head towards the Deucalion."

There was one thing in particular that Inko picked up on. "Is Inaho injured?"

"Something like that." Alek admitted. "I'll see you on the Deucalion."

"Right!"

* * *

When Alek landed the sky carrier in the Deucalion with Inaho's kataphrakt, the first thing he did was grab Inaho, who had lost consciousness again, and bring him to the medical squad standing nearby so they could take over.

The second thing he did was bring Lemrina out of the craft.

Then he got slapped in the face. Hard. By a very emotion-driven Inko Amifumi. "Idiot!"

Alek could only wait for the stars floating around him to subside.

While he struggled to stay conscious from that slap (it was easily the most brutal one Inko had ever landed on him), he could hear Lemrina talking.

"Is this a regular occurrence?" Lemrina seemed rather confused with what just happened.

"Not usually, no." Inko blushed profusely. "I kind of just hit him in the heat of the moment."

"Ah, I see." Lemrina nodded (She didn't get it).

It took Inko a moment before she realized she was talking to someone she hadn't met before. "I'm sorry, I don't think I know you."

"You might have heard of me." Lemrina did a small curtsy. "I'm Lemrina Vers Envers, Aleksander's sister and Second Princess of Vers."

Inko fumbled for a second before doing a small bow, once again finding herself in the presence of royalty she didn't know. "N-nice to meet you. I'm Inko Amifumi."

Alek finally managed to blink away the last of the stars floating around him. "What was that for?"

Inko's response? To tackle Alek with a hug. A breathtaking, lung-crushing hug. "You said you would catch up with us! What took you so long?"

"I-Inko… can't… breathe…" Alek managed to choke out.

"Oh! Oops." Inko looked extremely abashed.

Alek sighed. "One of these days, you're going to send me to the hospital. All the same, I've missed you, Inko."

It was Inko's turn to be surprised as Alek embraced her. Inko returned it, letting herself melt into him and relax. "I've missed you, too."

"Aleksander? Would you care to explain why you're being so… intimate with her?" Lemrina looked at her brother and Inko, confused by their actions. The reality of the situation dawned upon her a couple seconds later. "You mean to tell me that…"

"Well, yes." Alek said. "Is there a problem?"

"Minus the fact that it's been roughly five minutes and we're still here in a hangar? No." Lemrina said in a deadpan.

"Fine, fine. Ruin the moment, why don't you? By the way, Lemrina, everyone here knows me as Alek Audet. No need to pronounce the mouthful of words that is Aleksander Vers Allusia. Same way they know Asseylum as Seylum Audet."

Lemrina put her hand to her chin in thought. "So by that pattern, could I go by the name of Rina Audet?"

As they started walking— well, floating to the hallway, Alek put some thought into it. "I guess that would work, though I don't think it's necessary for you to change your name because people don't really know you."

"Lemrina Audet, then?"

"Good enough, I guess."

"By the way, Alek, does everyone on this ship know who you are?" Lemrina asked.

Alek shrugged. "Most people do. Not quite everyone, though I don't really bother to hide it."

"And they accepted you for who you are?"

"We don't usually make the association between Alek and his status as royalty." Inko admitted. "He's been with us so long that it doesn't even register most of the time."

"I see. What's that kataphrakt over there? It doesn't look like any of the other ones." Lemrina asked.

Alek turned around, guessing at what Lemrina was pointing at. "That's probably the Pega— what the..."

Asplund turned around. "Ah, Alek. Good to see you back."

"Asplund, where the hell is the Pegasus?" Alek asked.

"Oh, the Pegasus? I salvaged the parts we recovered and used it to create THIS beauty. Allow me to introduce you to the KG-10 Hengroen, the ultimate kataphrakt! I've created the ultimate weapon with this!" Asplund seemed to become even more crazed. "With multiple Aldnoah drives installed, we can install even more kinds of armaments! You're well aware of the railguns that we used on the Pegasus. We've streamlined the design and transferred them over to this kataphrakt. Then we replaced the vibration blades with smaller versions of the beam swords used by the Dioscuria. The grapplers are once again wrist mounted, though that's nothing new to you. What is new though, is the inclusion of a chest-mounted particle cannon. It's much more effective for use in space. As for the energy wings, well, I removed the energy bolt function to increase efficiency. However, I've replaced them with eight mobile laser guns that can either be controlled by command or set on autopilot. You'll find that it's much better than the energy bolts. The operating system has been improved as well, with a prototype of Ensign Kaizuka's analytical engine being installed into it. Lastly, we've also created an attachment that will allow the Hengroen to travel at even faster speeds when you need to get from place to place."

Asplund took a deep breath before finishing up. "Well, what do you think?"

While Inko and Lemrina were completely lost, Alek almost looked peeved. "You copied the Strike Freedom from Gundam Seed Destiny, didn't you?"

 _Oh, so that's why it looked so familiar._ Inko thought to herself. _It's from THAT show._

"W-what? No! How could you accuse me of such a—"

"Because I know you're an otaku whose fetish for creating giant fighting robots is fueled by his love for mecha anime." Alek took the datapad with all the maintenance data on the Hengroen. "I'll take a look at the manual."

"It was a great series!"

Alek sighed before turning around. "It had an extremely rushed plotline and switched the main character not even halfway through the series. There's terrible plot development, recycled animations, and the conclusion was about as satisfying as landing a hook only to realize you got a guppy when you thought you had a striped bass."

Asplund was left speechless as Alek left, with Inko and Rina following along.

"So how did you know that he was an otaku?" Inko asked.

Alek sighed. "About five months after we started working together, I lost a bet with our research team and was forced to watch the entire Gundam Seed series because Asplund wanted someone to do a marathon of classics with him. I wasted about thirty-nine hours on that show. The Pegasus is also based off another anime as well, though I can't remember which one."

"Yeah, it did seem that way." Inko nodded. "It looked like there was way too much emphasis on aesthetics."

"So what's an otaku?" Lemrina asked.

Inko decided to explain this one. "Basically they're people with awful social skills because they only interact with other people when they're forced to. They usually just shut themselves off from the world."

"That about sums it up. Honestly, at one point in time I thought the Orbital Knights were all obsessed with that kind of stuff."

Inko nodded sagely. "There did seem to be a rather strong emphasis on aesthetics in their kataphrakts."

"Count Saazbaum especially. I still think he was secretly a fan of either anime or manga. I can't imagine why else the head of the Dioscuria looked like a samurai helmet."

"Maybe the engineers for the kataphrakts are really obsessed with anime or manga and the Orbital Knights just roll with whatever design they're given." Inko suggested.

"Fair enough." Alek nodded before realizing that they were finally at the door. "Sometimes I forget how big this hangar is."

As he walked through the door, he suddenly found himself in a double headlock. _Oh come on!_

"Oi, Kaizuka! I said I was going to grab him first and you could get him second!" Koichiro Marito yelled at his subordinate.

"I thought you said I could get him before you did!" Yuki yelled back.

"I said after!"

 _Please tell me I don't have to go through hours of this._ "Lemrina, could you send a message to Count Mazuurek to maybe expect me a bit late? Rather, very late?"

"Um, sure." Lemrina was starting to find the actions of the terrans very confusing. Were they all like this?

"Inko, do you mind going with Lemrina? Maybe show her around? Oh, and grabbing her wheelchair from the sky carrier would probably be a good idea for when the Deucalion heads back to Earth."

Inko nodded before following after Lemrina. "Count on me!"

Alek winced as the double headlock on him tightened. "Could the two of you maybe let go so I can go talk to the captain?"

Eventually, the two of them released their hold on Alek. The prince rubbed his neck. "Did you really have to be so rough?"

"Honestly, almost everyone was considering slapping you when you came back. We eventually agreed to just doing this." Yuki said.

Alek sighed before walking to the bridge. "You guys are impossible."

* * *

"So how long have you known my brother for?" Lemrina asked Inko as they travelled along the hallway.

Inko took a moment to think about it. "We first met when we were nine years old, so I guess it's been about nine years now?"

"How did you meet him?" Lemrina was curious. After all, she hadn't known until less than an hour ago that her half-brother was invested in a relationship. And with a terran, to boot.

She couldn't understand when Inko looked slightly embarrassed. "I kind of dragged him to my family's restaurant when I found him depressed on the playground after school got out. We became good friends soon after that."

"And his attendant didn't try to stop you?" Lemrina found that slightly difficult to believe.

"Alek told him not to." Inko explained.

Now that brought on another question. "When exactly did the two of you start your relationship?"

While it was starting to get kind of personal, Inko figured she didn't have a choice in the matter, as this was Alek's sister she was talking to. "A little less than two years ago, I suppose."

"You suppose?" Lemrina once again found herself confused. "What do you mean?"

Inko explained. "After your brother got discharged from the hospital following the battle in Russia, he transferred to a research facility where they eventually created the kataphrakt that the Orbital Knights would refer to as the White Death."

As they continued on, the two of them ran into a brown-haired girl. Inko addressed her. "Oh, Rayet! Have you heard? Alek's back."

"I know. I overheard Lt. Marito and Yuki talking about ambushing him." Rayet nodded. "Is that Alek's sister?"

Lemrina nodded to Rayet. "Lemrina Vers Envers. You are?"

"Rayet Areash. My father was born on Vers." Rayet explained. "Did you want something, Inko?"

"Ah, right! Do you mind changing roommates for a bit? I think Lemrina would appreciate being able to stay with someone from Vers."

 _I'm right here, you know?_ Lemrina thought to herself.

Rayet shook her head. "I think you should be the one to stay with her. I can room with Nina."

Inko was confused. "What? Why?"

It was at this point that Rayet started smirking. "I think it would be best if the princess became more familiar with her future sister-in-law."

"W-what?" Inko seemed at a loss.

"Well, I certainly hope the two of you get well-acquainted." Rayet waved them off. "See you later."

"H-hey, Rayet!"

Lemrina appeared to be stifling a bit of laughter. "So, my sister-in-law, hmm?"

Inko had a furious blush on her face. "Yeah… we haven't really gotten that far yet. I've just been wondering how I could help Alek if I ended up going to Vers with him."

"You do understand that many of the Orbital Knights will not take well to having a terran as Empress, correct?"

Inko sighed. "I know. I even asked about that. Alek said something along the lines of convincing the people of Vers of our value."

Lemrina sighed. "Well, if you hope to make an impression on Vers, you'll first have to understand the kind of lives the people of Vers lead. I suppose I can teach you about that."

"Would you?" Inko suddenly looked hopeful. _I can think about so much more if I have an idea of the problems to work with._

"Certainly. Where do you want to start?"

* * *

"I have a report saying that some of your forces went to the moon base. Care to explain why, Captain Magbaredge?"

"It was an on-the-spot call. If we lose the princess now, we lose any chance at peace for good."

The board chairman narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

Currently, the Captain, XO Mizusaki, and Alek were in the briefing room, conversing with the board chairman. Alek was trying very hard to hide his distaste for the man, as he had been the one to order the assassination of his sister.

"The core of the enemy is not the real Princess Asseylum. Rather, she is an imposter." The captain explained.

"We have no evidence for that."

"It doesn't change the truth."

The board chairman sighed. "We confirmed the launch of Mazuurek Castle. We also heard that right before Count Mazuurek escaped, he was meeting with two of your troops."

"That is correct. What of it?"

 _I know what you're implying, old geezer._

"Once again, one of your troops has been deployed. What a coincidence. What a coincidence indeed…"

"You know, I find it hard to believe that you actually give a damn about the end of the war." Alek said, eyes narrowing.

"Why, Ensign Audet, it's good to see that you are back safe and sound. It's certainly beneficial that our greatest asset has returned. What would you like to talk about?" The chairman seemed to sneer at him, aware of his status as prince of Vers.

Alek's eyes narrowed even more. "Oh, nothing much. Just that your assassination mission nearly resulted in the death of my sister. Now, why did you think that the mission would end the war?"

"Because she was the spearhead of the martian attack on Earth. Her death would end the war for certain. Surely, you could understand that much, my dear _prince_." The venom in the word 'prince' was almost tangible.

"I suppose you would be right in saying that the war would end when Asseylum died. However, what you don't realize is that the war would with your death and the complete domination of Earth. If you wish for no such scenario to happen anytime soon, you will do as I say and refrain from attacking any Vers establishment." Alek had enough of him.

"Who are you to order me around, Audet?"

"That's Emperor Aleksander Vers Allusia to you, worm. Disrespect me again and it will be your last."

The board chairman seemed taken aback by this change in Alek's attitude. "Are you implying something, Audet?"

Unfortunately for the board chairman, he quickly found himself on the receiving end of an unsettling smile. "Implying? That would suggest that I'm trying to make you work your brain. No. I'm going to make this as simple for you as possible. If I catch word that you are compromising the potential peace between Vers and Earth, I will personally see to death of every man and woman who conspires with you. If I get even the slightest hint that you are trying to interfere where you do not belong, you WILL die. Is that understood?"

"Are you threatening a superior, Ensign Audet?" The board chairman asked, eyes narrowing.

"Who me? Threaten a superior? Not a chance! That was a promise, for crying out loud. Learn the difference, moron." Everyone could literally feel the snark dripping from Alek's words. "And here's a little thing you should know. I always keep my promises. But now, how about a real question. Are you threatening your best chance at ending the war without any more loss of life?"

"Why you—" The captain shut off the communication before any more damage could be done.

XO Mizusaki turned to Alek. "You do understand that he'll be aiming for you now that you've done so much to him?"

Alek shrugged. "I have a plan in mind."

"You haven't actually been crowned Emperor, have you?" The captain asked, trying not to laugh.

"Not yet, though he doesn't need to know that." Alek smiled. "How long do you think you can jam everyone's communication to headquarters for?"

The captain looked at Alek curiously. "A couple hours. Why?"

"It should give me enough time to get things in order before I head out." Alek said. "Also, could you do me a favor and tell Inko that I'll be leaving after I visit Inaho?"

"I can do that much, I suppose. Good luck, Audet. I suppose this may be the last time we can converse like this."

Alek saluted to her, a smile on his face. "Captain Darzana Magbaredge, it's been an honor serving you aboard the Wadatsumi and the Deucalion. I wish you the best of health. XO Kaoru Mizusaki, I hope you'll be able to meet the right man for you one day. Good luck."

"Y-yeah. Thank you, Ensign Audet."

* * *

After checking up on Inaho (he hadn't woken up yet), Alek made his way to the Hengroen.

"Hengroen. Hmm… it's actually a really fitting name." Alek muttered.

"Alek!" Inko's voice echoed from behind.

Alek turned around to find Inko crash into him, with Lemrina following right behind.

"You're leaving already?" Inko asked. "You just got back!"

Alek smiled sadly. "Much as I would like to stay, I need to go. I can't let the war go on any longer. It's time I ended it myself."

"We'll miss you." Inko returned his smile.

"Oh, that reminds me. Have you made a choice?" Alek asked.

Inko nodded. "When the time is right. I'll go to Vers. For now, Lemrina is helping me understand more about Vers so I can see where they need help."

Alek blinked in surprise before turning to Lemrina. "That's awfully nice of you. I thought you were done involving yourself in politics."

"One last thing for you, dear brother, seeing as you can't seem to figure out many of the internal problems yourself." Lemrina smirked. "It's probably a good idea for you to have someone that can pull your head out of the clouds."

"Of course you would say that." Alek sighed before something occurred to him. "That reminds me, I have one last thing I need to do for you."

"Huh?"

Alek cleared his throat before taking on his most professional voice. "Lemrina Vers Envers, as of this moment, you are hereby stripped of all royal titles and rights. You will no longer have such influences in politics and are thus free of all burdens related to royalty. What you choose to do with your life is now yours."

Lemrina blinked back a few tears. Inko, misinterpreted the tears before Lemrina gave Alek a hug. "Thank you, Aleksander. From the bottom of my heart, thank you."

"Inko?"

"Yeah, Alek?"

"You still have my sketchbook, right?"

Inko nodded, not sure where Alek was going with this. "I do. Why?"

"On the 14th page with drawing of the sakura tree, there's a set of numbers. That has full access to my international bank account. Can you make sure Lemrina gets full access to that? It should be enough for her to live on Earth comfortably, as well as pay for any surgery that she may want to get."

A thought occurred to Inko. "So you're telling me that you technically have access to most of Vers' finances but you still kept a bank account?"

"I like being prepared." Was Alek's only response to that.

Inko shook her head in exasperation. "You're crazy. But I guess that's a bit of what I love about you."

Alek's smile brightened a bit as he moved to embrace Inko. Before he could, Inko's lips met his. Alek's eyes widened in shock before closing his eyes, deepening the kiss between them. Lemrina looked the other way for sake of privacy.

After they released that kiss, Alek embraced Inko. "I'll see you again. I promise."

Inko looked up at him. "Stay safe, Alek."

With that, Alek started up to the Hengroen. Inko followed along for a bit. "The Hengroen, huh? I wonder where Asplund got that name from."

"Oh, that's actually pretty easy." Alek said with a chuckle. "In fact, it's actually the most fitting name for this particular kataphrakt."

"Huh? Why is that?"

"Because Hengroen is the name of one of the horses belonging to King Arthur himself." Alek said before stopping in front of the cockpit.

Inko paused for a moment. "You know what, that does seem rather fitting."

Alek turned to her. "Something on your mind?"

"Well, if you think about it, this moment is the last one where you live your life as Alek Audet."

Alek blinked in surprise, the thought just occurring to him. "You know, you're actually right."

It was strange, because even though Alek had felt large amounts of apprehension before in abandoning the name Alek Audet, he felt none of that apprehension now. _I suppose it's because I've come full circle._

"You've found your resolve this time, Alek. Don't let me stop you. Do what you need to do." Inko stared Alek in the eye.

Alek stared back before hugging his significant other one last time. "Thank you, Inko."

* * *

After Inko left the hangar, Alek began powering up the Hengroen and programming it's operating system to fit his needs. Once he was ready, he sighed before beginning to move the kataphrakt.

 _I love you, Inko. And I promise you, one day you'll stand at my side as my queen. After all, no ruler is truly complete without his other half._

"KG-10 Hengroen. Now attaching Long Distance Travel Package. Please standby."

A comm channel opened. "I suppose I won't be getting the Hengroen back now, Alek?"

Alek smirked. "Unfortunately not, Asplund. Either way, thank you for everything you've done."

"Bah, just go do what you need to do."

"Long Distance Travel Package Attachment is now equipped. KG-10, you are now ready to launch."

"Hey, Alek! Do the thing!"

"What? What thing?"

"You know, the fancy thing everyone says before launching their gundams?"

"No, not happening." _Now he decides to unleash his inner weeaboo?_

"Oh come on, just this once! Besides, you're taking my Hengroen so soon after I finished it, Alek. Humor me this one time. That's the least you can do."

Alek sighed. "Fine. Just this once."

 _I sincerely hope this is the last time I do something like this._

"Aleksander Vers Allusia. Hengroen. Now launching!"

* * *

 **I couldn't resist ending it on that note, though admittedly it makes it look like I'm dabbing into the Gundam series. This is the farthest I will actually go though, so no need to worry. I did watch Gundam SEED and Destiny recently, and the only thing I don't regret about watching it is the gundams themselves. As far as plot goes, I give SEED a 7/10 and Destiny a 3/10.**

 **This was really more of a filler chapter more than anything else, tying up some loose ends and all that. Also bashing on my favorite antisocial character. Anyone else ever get the feeling that the Orbital Knights were secretly a bunch of weebs? I mean, the Earth kataphrakts all have a nice practical design and then you get the Orbital Knights.**

 **In the words of Tienshinhan from DBZA, "Freaking weeaboo."**

 **I also made a small callback to Chapter 16 where Alek tells Captain Magbaredge to "Keep the top brass off me. If they try to butt into this in any way, I may be forced to declare a stance against Earth."**

 **So yeah, that's a good idea of what will happen if Alek's buttons get pushed too much.**

 **Other than that, one of Alek's biggest struggles is going to be with the Orbital Knights themselves. As some of you may have noticed, some of the Orbital Knights only want Alek on the throne in order to overthrow Slaine. Just because they're loyal does not necessarily mean that they will appreciate the changes that Alek plans to implement.**

 **And as before, send in policy changes you would like to see**

 **As always, R &R, criticisms and constructive insults are welcome. (Do constructive insults exist?)**

 **Until next time,**

 **WX**


	24. Emperor

**Ladies and gentlemen, the moment you've all been waiting for is nigh.**

 **Also, I get way too excited about researching the most random topics. There are a bunch of things that theoretically would be an easy fix for a bunch of problems on Vers, but introducing them now could possibly derail the story. I'm trying to avoid deus ex machina's to the best of my ability.**

 **Call me out if some part looks choppy. There's a lot to sift through and I'm not sure I've been as attentive as I needed to be.**

* * *

Slaine Troyard found himself once again standing in front of the place where Princess Asseylum's body had been healing, thinking as to his actions.

One of the big questions he had asked himself was why he had let Inaho Kaizuka go and rescue the prince and princesses. Why did he trust someone else so implicitly? Was it because Kaizuka had been friends with the prince back on Earth? It still made no sense. He was supposed to be the official protector of the royal family, having taken on that role after the death of Count Saazbaum. Yet he let someone else do his job for him.

The other big question for himself regarded Princess Asseylum. Did he truly love her? Or did he simply have an unhealthy obsession? As a matter of fact, how much did he really understand about the princess? He thought he knew the kind of person she was, but in the end, the main reason he thought he had fallen for her was because she was beautiful. Both as a person and in personality.

Then there was Prince Aleksander. The first friend he made on Vers, though it would be far from accurate to say that theirs was a good, strong friendship nowadays. Aleksander's focus had been more on making friends than it had been on keeping said people as friends.

As for his actions, they were quite questionable. Aleksander's actions on Earth had angered Slaine, as they had needlessly endangered both himself and the people. It would have been a simple matter to bring him back to the Landing Castle and then from there head to Vers. Instead, he chose to go a much more difficult route and ended up landing his sister in a coma for almost two years, not to mention almost getting himself killed. Princess Asseylum may have been the spark that started the war, but it was Prince Aleksander that had stoked the fires for the war to go out of control.

Yet now, Aleksander held all the keys to ending the war. It almost didn't seem fair to Slaine. After everything he had gone through, it was Aleksander who now held every single advantage.

And yet, despite the fact that Aleksander could completely topple him without a second thought, he chose to offer a hand in friendship, to offer a place in the new Vers empire which he planned to create.

What was Slaine to do in this kind of situation? The answer was clear.

He opened up a video screen to the communications room. "Tell Harklight to get the Herschel ready and that I'll be joining him in a bit."

* * *

"Princess Asseylum, may I ask you a question?"

The Hadriacus was a couple minutes out from reaching Castle Mazuurek. Klancain figured that now was a good time to ask the princess some questions that were on his mind.

"Certainly, Count Klancain, what is it you wish to know?"

Klancain frowned. "Does your brother truly intend to make a long-lasting alliance between Earth and Vers?"

Asseylum nodded. "Yes, he does. Is there a problem?"

"Begging your pardon, Princess, but while the Orbital Knights that Count Mazuurek has gathered have all pledged their loyalty to your brother, you may find that they might not be as agreeable as to the plans your brother may implement."

"Does this state of mind apply to all of the Orbital Knights that Count Mazuurek has talked to?"

Klancain shook his head. "There are some, of course, who think along those same lines that your brother does, and while they hold a majority among the Orbital Knights that Count Mazuurek has recruited, there are still some who will not agree with your brother's ways."

Asseylum couldn't help but express her surprise. "Then why did they agree to back my brother?"

"The main reason is that they wish to see Slaine Troyard removed from power. They find someone like him holding so much power in Vers disconcerting."

Asseylum frowned. This did not bode well for Aleksander. Especially if her brother had continued his relationship with Inko. "And what do they plan to do?"

At this, Klancain had no real answer. "At this point, I do not know. It seems unlikely that they will let your brother do what he wants in regards to this alliance, but at this point their actions are unknown to me."

"And you, Count Klancain? Where do you stand in all of this?" Asseylum asked. This was something she found important. If even the head of the family most loyal to the royal bloodline felt this way, it could spell disaster for Aleksander.

Klancain frowned. "I have yet to decide on a stance in all of this. Remember, your Highness, these Orbital Knights do not hold a majority among Count Mazuurek's faction. However, that does not necessarily hold for the rest of the 37 Clans when the time comes."

Internally, Asseylum sighed in relief. While it wasn't what she had hoped for, it was still better than the worst case scenario.

"Milord, there is an object approaching the Hadriacus at a very fast pace."

That got everyone's attention. "Is it a fighter?" Klancain asked.

"No. It appears to be a kataphrakt. The pilot is sending us a transmission."

"Put it through."

Everyone was surprised when Aleksander's face came on screen, looking surprisingly embarrassed. "Klancain, would I be inconveniencing you if I docked on the Hadriacus? I might have overestimated how long it would take me to get to Castle Mazuurek."

* * *

"So Vers has a serious food problem?" Inko asked as she and Lemrina sat down with food trays in their hands.

Lemrina nodded. "While Vers does produce its own food in the form of chlorella and krill, it gets more difficult year after year to continue an output that can sustain the population of Vers."

"Right. Because most of the water evaporated long before Vers was colonized by humans." Inko nodded, remembering an earlier point they had talked about. "What happens to most of the supplies that Earth sends to Vers? Where does it go?"

"For the most part, it's consumed by the Orbital Knights. The lower classes don't have as much access to the to the food that the upper class does. In particular, the nobles."

"And because the nobility has most, if not all of the power in Vers, no one can really say anything about it." Inko summed it up.

Lemrina had to admit, she was impressed by Inko. There weren't that many people who were willing to go as in depth in regards to learning about Vers as she was. "So how would you go fixing the problems?"

"I'm still thinking about it." Inko admitted. "It's a lot of information to take in at once and I'm still need to do a lot of research regarding the topics."

Lemrina nodded. "Take your time."

As she took a bite, she appreciated the flavor. _This is really good._

"Hey, Inko!"

Lemrina turned around to see four people join them on the table. She was familiar with Rayet and Inaho, but the other two were unknown to her.

"Whoa, are you Alek's other sister?" A blonde guy asked.

"Lemrina Audet. You are?"

He replied, albeit nervously. "Calm Craftman. I serve as a mechanic on the Deucalion."

"A pleasure. Why do you look so nervous?" Lemrina had to ask. She was starting to worry that Calm was one of those guys that didn't think very well about Versians.

A laugh next to Calm in the form of a girl came up. "Oh, don't worry about that. Your brother just promised divine retribution on Calm if he tried to hit on either of his sisters. I'm Nina Klein, by the way."

 _Oh. That explains something._ _Wait, no it doesn't._ "Hit on?" Lemrina was unfamiliar with that term.

"To hit on someone is to flirt with them. Basically he would have been trying to court you casually." Inaho explained as he sat himself down.

"Inaho!"

Lemrina just couldn't resist teasing when she realized what material she had on her hand. "Oh my, do you find me that pretty? Or am I just that right amount of cute for you?"

"W-well, um…" Calm stuttered.

"Or maybe you'll just go for anything because you're desperate." Lemrina finished up with a seemingly innocent smile. "Oh my, was I actually right? I didn't think I was right on the spot."

At this point, Calm couldn't help but start sulking at the table while everyone else laughed.

"Well, if you have proven anything with that, it's that you are Alek's sister beyond a shadow of a doubt." Another person appeared.

"I'm sorry. Who are you?" Lemrina asked. She recognized the women as one of the two people who had put Aleksander into a headlock.

Inaho answered before the woman could. "That's Yuki. My older sister."

"Nao-kun! Why would you steal my introduction from me?" Yuki protested.

"Because you were about to go on for a while without actually introducing yourself. I figured I could save Lemrina the time." Inaho replied.

"By the way, is it true that slandering royalty is punishable by limb amputation?" Nina asked.

Lemrina noticed that Calm's ears suddenly perked up, a fearful look overtaking his face. It wasn't hard to figure out the reason behind those actions. _Well, if Aleksander makes fun of him on a regular basis, I suppose it might be alright…_ "Actually, I heard recently that the punishment had become more severe."

"Severe? How?!" At this point, Calm was acting like the complete opposite of his name.

"I'm joking. I don't even think that's a law."

Calm was confused. "Wait, so I'm safe then?"

"Probably not." Inko quipped. "You know what Alek might do to you."

"Right… I'll just avoid inciting Alek's wrath. Friends?" Calm extended his hand to Lemrina.

Lemrina shook it. "Sure. Why not?"

"So what were the two of you talking about before we got here?"

Lemrina looked over at Inko. "Do they know?"

Inko nodded. "Yeah, they know."

"Know what?" Was the general consensus.

"About Inko becoming Empress." Lemrina said.

Rayet nodded. "We're all pretty familiar with it already. Inko had a bit of panic attack when she first learned about the possibility."

"Anything in particular you were talking about?"

"Mostly situations on Vers and how they could be resolved."

Inko decided to recount what she and Lemrina had discussed most recently. "Well, Vers has a significant food problem in that the food output is slowly getting overwhelmed by the population growth on Vers."

"Wait, what about the emergency supplies?" Nina asked. "I thought Earth sent a bunch of packaged food to Vers."

"Mostly consumed by the upper class. For the most part, the rest of Vers consumes chlorella and krill."

"Krill… isn't that really tiny shrimp? Why would they eat that?"

Inaho answered that question. "Krill is really efficient in terms of production as a food. It's has high-quality protein, it's low in animal fat, and it is an excellent source of omega-3. Not to mention it's also high in antioxidants and is very efficient in terms of turning it into food. As for chlorella, it's very dense in nutrients, as well as having multiple desirable traits, making it essentially a superfood."

"So why is it a problem?"

Inko frowned. "The problem is, chlorella and krill are small. It must take a lot of it to make enough for all the people on Vers. Not to mention the supply of water is limited as well. We could try growing foods that don't rely very heavily on water, maybe bring in some experts on the subject and properly compensate them for their work."

"The question is, where would you grow the food?" Lemrina asked. "It's not like you could just demolish some area to make farming ground."

"They could always try expanding the range that Vers encompasses. If more of the planet can be used, more can be grown and the food problem won't be as dire." Inko reasoned. "If the soil on Vers as at least some minerals, certain plants could probably be grown there. We could even create a really large recycling system."

Lemrina was confused. "How would that work?"

Inko explained. "Once food is grown, whatever part that isn't eaten can be reused as compost in the earth, creating a process that repeats itself when food is grown again. We could utilize any organic compound as compost, minimizing the need for more extraneous resources once it got started up."

It was almost terrifying to see Inko have thought out so much stuff. It had been ages since they had been in school, so almost everyone forgot that Inko was only surpassed by Inaho in academics back when they were in school.

"Well, you seem to have put a lot of thought into this, Inko." A middle-age man appeared before turning to Lemrina. "Am I right in assuming that you are Alek's sister?"

Lemrina didn't recognize him, though she nodded. "That's right. You are?"

"Dr. Soma Yagarai. Your brother asked me to take a look at your medical condition. Once we get back to Earth, do you mind coming with me to do an X-ray? We can figure out where to go from there in regards to treatment on your legs."

Sufficient to say, Lemrina was not expecting that. At the same time, she was happy and starting to understand exactly how much Aleksander cared for family. "Yes!"

The intercom suddenly blared. "Attention, all hands. We will begin reentry to Earth in thirty minutes."

"We're heading to Earth?" Lemrina asked.

"I checked with the captain, we're on standby for the moment, because of what Alek threatened the UFE board chairman with." Inaho said. "You'll have to adjust to the gravity once we reach Earth. It'll be somewhat heavier than what you experienced on the Moon Base."

 _Hello, wheelchair, how have you been? Oh, I've been alright._ Lemrina sighed in defeat.

The one thing Lemrina had enjoyed about being on the Deucalion was the lack of gravity. It let her walk normally. That and the food. The big thing she was looking forward to when she got to Earth was taking in all the sights.

 _Hopefully, I'll be out of the wheelchair soon._

* * *

"Here's the manual for maintaining and reconstructing my kataphrakt. Follow the instructions on there."

"Yes, your Highness." The mechanic took the datapad before perusing it.

Aleksander continued on with Asseylum and Klancain in tow.

"Welcome, Prince Aleksander, Princess Asseylum." Count Mazuurek took a bow.

"Count Mazuurek, it's good to see you again." Aleksander smiled.

"Right this way, your Highnesses."

Before they continued, Aleksander turned to his sister. "Asseylum, I know you want to ask some questions, but could you wait until after I finish talking with the Orbital Knights gathered here? This is something I must deal with myself."

Asseylum nodded. "I understand. Tread carefully, Aleksander."

Aleksander had changed into a longcoat before entering the control room. Once he made it there, he was only a slight bit surprised to see that video transmissions to multiple other counts and countesses were open as well.

"Count Mazuurek. Thank you for all your effort in gathering these men and women."

"So you really do live, Prince Aleksander." One of the counts on the sides breathed out.

"I do." Aleksander nodded. "Before I get to anything else, I have a question for those of you here. I want you to answer me honestly. Do not be afraid of offending me. Is that acceptable?"

Everyone looked around at the other counts, uncertain as to what the prince was asking of them. There was a short pause before one of the counts spoke out. "If it is something you request, your Highness, we will comply. What is it you ask of us?"

Aleksander looked around at all of them before asking the question. "How many of you are opposed to a long-lasting alliance between Vers and Earth? Please be honest. I wish to know your reasoning."

A stunned silence filled the air before one of the counts stuttered a response. "Your Highness, I don't think—"

"I'm well aware that I was considered a traitor to my home by at least some of the Orbital Knights because I chose to live on Earth. It's difficult to imagine that there isn't even one among you."

Countess Femieanne spoke up. "Your Highness, I would like to make my case in regards to your question."

"Please do so, Countess." Aleksander motioned for her to continue. _This must be the most recently established Countess Femieanne. She certainly seems familiar enough._

"It is a similar reason as to why I first joined this faction. I do not believe Count Troyard should have ever had that much power in Vers. And no Terran should be so implanted in Versian politics that their decisions change the very infrastructure of our empire."

Once she finished, Aleksander nodded. "Thank you. Would anyone else like to speak?"

Another count, Valerus, found the nerve to speak up in the wake of Countess Femieanne's answer. "Your Highness, I find little reason to create an alliance with Earth. We are a technologically superior people, and if we were to share our technology with Earth, we would lose the advantage that we have. One of my biggest worries in this alliance is that if we share this technology with them, they may one day reverse-engineer Aldnoah drives to use against us. If the counts on Earth refuse to leave the planet, I fear the UFE will demand a way to fight them. If that were to happen, they would have everything they need to study Aldnoah and use it against us. I personally believe we should leave Earth alone. If we were to stop this war right now, Earth could rebuild by itself. History has shown that they have done so before and will do so again."

Aleksander nodded. "Anyone else?"

When no one else offered an answer, Aleksander decided to address the problems mentioned. "Countess Femieanne, while I understand your sentiments regarding having a terran hold power in Vers, I do not believe it is necessarily justified. Say the terrans come up with a solution to a problem that we have no solution for. Would that not be reason enough for them to have a say in our politics? Say the same applies to if we have a solution for the terrans that they do not have themselves. Would that not be reason enough for us to have a say in their politics?"

"But what if a terran makes his way up in our politics and ends up abusing his power?"

Aleksander shook his head. "For him to abuse it, he would have to get there first. I will trust in the judgement of all of you here to make sure people of ill intent do not end up in position of power. Is that not in our jurisdiction?"

"Count Valerus, you bring up valid points. In terms of technology, Vers is indeed superior to Earth. The points you bring up regarding sharing technology are also valid fears. Your point regarding rebuilding is not wrong either. History has also proven that humanity as a whole has survived threats to its existence before. If the war were to end this instance, they would undoubtedly rebuild. In that regard, I believe your points are valid."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

"However," Aleksander continued, "While your point regarding the Aldnoah drives is very much a deterrent to the forging of an alliance, I still believe we should create and maintain said alliance."

Count Valerus looked confused. "May I hear your reasoning for this, your Highness?"

Aleksander nodded. "Do you want to know what the Emperor told me regarding Aldnoah? Regarding what happened when he first discovered it?"

— _Flashback—_

" _Grandfather?"_

" _Yes, Aleksander?" The Emperor of Vers looked down at his grandson._

 _The prince looked curious. "What's Aldnoah?"_

 _Reyregalia Vers Rayvers smiled. "Aleksander, did you know that when I first discovered Aldnoah, I was just a researcher making an expedition to this planet. The discovery made me happy beyond reason."_

" _But what is it, Grandfather?"_

" _Aleksander, if there is one thing I want you to remember out of this conversation, it is this. Aldnoah is a gift."_

" _A gift?"_

" _Yes. A gift that will pave the way for the future of mankind. One that, when the tensions of war have passed, I pray will become a way for civilization to advance. Maybe one day, you will see that it happens."_

— _Flashback End—_

"Count Valerus, Aldnoah is a gift. As the ones who inherited it from its creators, are we not obligated to share this gift? Ultimately, we are the ones who still control Aldnoah. If the counts on Earth refuse to back off, we will personally deal with them. The UFE will not need our technology for weaponry. Is that not our responsibility as member of the Vers Empire? Aldnoah was meant to bring mankind to greater heights, not keep down the majority while only a small number of people benefitted. That does not just include those of us on Vers, but those on Earth as well. Earth has much to show us as well. Culture, the ability to voice opinions without fear, and the desire to improve themselves, none of which we have on Vers as of now. I intend to change that. We have much to learn from each other. Each side has the ability to teach the other many things. It's just a matter of listening."

When neither count responded, Aleksander continued. "I do not expect you to agree with me at this time. I only ask that you give me a chance to change your minds in regards to this topic."

"What do you have in mind, your Highness?"

"Give me two years. If the alliance with Earth does not provide any significant benefit for Vers during that time, I will break off the alliance and find our own way to change the empire for the better, with the two of you at the head of these policy changes. Is that acceptable?"

"…Yes, your Highness." The counts nodded.

"Thank you. You are all dismissed for the moment."

After the video transmissions closed, Asseylum spoke to her brother. "I think you handled that pretty well."

"It could've gone better. But I have a chance to make them see things the way they need to." Aleksander turned to Count Mazuurek. "The audience chamber, if you would?"

Before Count Mazuurek could respond, one of the operators suddenly called out. "Milord, there are three kataphrakts approaching the Landing Castle with a request to land."

"Which kataphrakts?"

"The Herschel, the Octantis, and the Tharsis."

Count Mazuurek looked at Aleksander. "What should we do, your Highness?"

Aleksander's face looked serious. "Let them through. I would speak with them."

* * *

Count Barouhcruz looked at the Tharsis in horror. "Count Troyard, do you mean to tell me that you have lied to us this entire time about the death of the prince?"

Slaine shook his head as they travelled to the Landing Castle. "I only discovered he was alive recently, though I did not wish to make it public."

"So you could continue on with this façade? Why is that?" The count was justifiably angry. The Orbital Knights had invested much time into following Count Troyard. While only Count Barouhcruz was privy to the information as of yet, he knew the Orbital Knights would soon rebel against the terran once they caught wind of this information.

"Because I thought I could keep Prince Aleksander in check. I thought he would be easy to handle as long as Princess Asseylum followed my original plan for a kingdom on Earth. I was wrong. He convinced her otherwise and they escaped during the attack on the Moon Base." Slaine said.

Count Barouhcruz frowned. "And what do you intend to do now? The Orbital Knights will be out for your blood."

The count had come to respect Slaine Troyard. Even though he was a terran that had deceived many during his rise to power, he had made his way to the higher echelons of Vers through effort alone, gaining the respect of many after his achievements in destroying Trident Base and defeating Count Marylcian in a duel. He did not want the young count to suffer greatly for all of this, because though he had deceived, he had done it for the sake of Vers.

"I plan to surrender myself to Prince Aleksander. As the man responsible for leaving him on Earth, I must take responsibility for my actions." Slaine replied.

"I see…" Count Barouhcruz was lost in thought. _Perhaps Prince Aleksander will be more merciful to Count Troyard than the rest of the Orbital Knights would be._

When they landed in Castle Mazuurek, Count Barouhcruz was surprised to see that there was another kataphrakt in the hangar besides theirs. He went to check with the engineer. "Whose kataphrakt is that?"

"This is the Hengroen, Prince Aleksander's kataphrakt." The engineer replied.

Count Barouhcruz looked somewhat awed before stirring himself out of his stupor and following Slaine and Harklight. _That is an amazing kataphrakt._

When he entered the control room, he came before Slaine and Harklight bowing to the prince and princesses. He followed suit. "Your Highnesses."

"Count Barouhcruz, Count Troyard, Sir Harklight. Why are you here?" Princess Asseylum asked.

Slaine was first to reply. "I am here to beg for your forgiveness."

Prince Aleksander frowned. "It is not me you need to beg forgiveness from, Count Troyard. It is the rest of the Orbital Knights."

"Nevertheless, your Highness, I submit myself to you. It was me who left you to die on Earth. I was the one who held you as a prisoner, along with your sister. That is why I submit myself to you, as you have the strongest claim to my life."

Prince Aleksander turned his attention to Count Barouhcruz and Harklight. "And why are the two of you here?"

"Your Highness, we have come to ask you to lighten the severity of his sentence. Though he had deceived people, he did it for the sake of Vers. A man as noble as Count Troyard should not suffer all the punishment." Count Barouhcruz remained bowed.

"Yet actions have their consequences, and to ignore them is unacceptable." The prince turned to Slaine. "Tell me, Count Troyard. What would you submit yourself to?"

"I would be willing to face my execution if I must." Slaine declared.

Prince Aleksander closed his eyes. "I see. Very well then, if you insist."

"Aleksander!" Asseylum protested for a second, clearly worried for Slaine.

"Slaine Troyard, you are guilty of many crimes. While the punishment for such crimes would normally be death, I have a different sentence for you. Until the day you die, you will fight. You will fight for the world that I seek to create. A world where none will suffer because of war. That is my sentence for you."

Slaine's eyes widened. "Thank you, your Highness."

"The three of you are dismissed for now, Count Troyard, Count Barouhcruz, Sir Harklight. Asseylum, we're heading to the audience chamber."

"Of course, Aleksander."

Count Barouhcruz was shocked, though not in a bad way. _Prince Aleksander is truly merciful._

* * *

"I hate normal gravity." Lemrina muttered to herself as she rolled down the hall with Inko.

Inko wasn't quite sure what to say. Sure, she had interacted with disabled people before, but she would have never suspected that Lemrina was disabled as well until they landed, though the wheelchair in their room should have given it away. _Come to think of it, that would explain why she looked so depressingly used to readjusting to gravity. Most of us just shrug it off because we're used to it, but Lemrina can't do that. No wonder she enjoyed the low gravity so much._

She smiled a bit awkwardly. "Hopefully things will get better once you get the surgery for your legs."

Lemrina smiled back. "I certainly hope so. Travelling in a wheelchair is inconvenient already."

"Wait, no! Give me back that data!" A voice cried.

Inko turned around to see Asplund chasing after a couple of soldiers holding some datapads. "What was that about?"

Asplund grumbled. "They took the data for the Pegasus. Said something about studying it for future endeavors. Didn't even bother to listen to me when I was about to tell them about the Hengroen."

"What?" Inko and Lemrina were confused.

"I built the Hengroen in secret. I always planned for it to be a surprise." Asplund explained. "They don't seem interested in that bit of data though. Well, if they're so uninterested, they're not getting it!"

"Let's just ignore him and go to Dr. Yagarai." Inko decided.

Lemrina nodded sagely. "That would probably be best."

When they got to Dr. Yagarai's office, where Inaho was doing a checkup as well, he had Lemrina lie down on the table before beginning the x-ray. About half an hour later, Lemrina was back in the wheelchair while Dr. Yagarai went through the data. When he finished, he rolled his chair over.

"Do you want the good news first, or the bad news?" Dr. Yagarai asked.

Lemrina braced herself. "The good news, I guess."

"Good news is, your condition is very much treatable. The reason behind your condition is that your leg muscles are extremely weak. However, we should be able to remedy that."

"What's the bad news?" Lemrina asked.

Dr. Yagarai looked hesitant. "It's a very expensive treatment. I can't imagine you would have the money to pay for it, seeing as you don't have access to finances on Earth."

"Actually…" Inko began. "We have full access to Alek's international bank account. It should have enough money."

"Oh. In that case, bad news is just that it'll take a couple years of treatment and therapy. We can get started once the equipment comes in." Dr. Yagarai smiled.

Lemrina smiled. "Thank you very much, Dr. Yagarai."

"Anytime, Miss Audet. It's a pleasure."

Before they could proceed, two armed soldiers came into the office. Instantly fearing for Lemrina, Inko got up. "Who are you? What do you want?"

To her surprise, they weren't after Lemrina. "Inko Amifumi, Inaho Kaizuka, by order of the Board Chairman of the UFE, the two of you are under arrest for acts of treason."

* * *

"Grandfather, are you well?" Aleksander asked.

He, Asseylum, Klancain, and Count Mazuurek were standing in the Emperor's room, where he was resting.

When the Emperor didn't respond, Aleksander turned to Klancain. "How bad is his condition?"

Klancain frowned. "We have a medicine that can clear his mind for a short period of time, though if we give him any now, it could potentially kill him after a couple hours."

Aleksander only pondered the idea for a couple moments. "Do it."

"Aleksander!" Asseylum protested.

Aleksander turned to his sister, his face grim. "Asseylum, sometimes the right way to do things isn't necessarily the safest way. Besides, I'd rather release Grandfather from his suffering instead of letting it persist on."

"But—"

"…Aleksander?" A voice called out. "Is that you?"

Aleksander turned, surprised. "Yes, Grandfather. I have returned."

"Have you come to take my place?"

"I have."

The Emperor closed his eyes. "I see. Take a knee and answer my questions. Do you swear to always act as a leader to your people?"

Aleksander took a knee. "I do."

"Will you always act to the benefit of Vers?"

"I will, for Vers is my home."

"And do you promise to always remember your people first?"

Aleksander remained bowed. "I promise, for without the people, I am nothing."

"And do you, Asseylum Vers Allusia, recognize your brother's claim to the throne?" The Emperor turned to his granddaughter.

Asseylum took a deep breath. "I recognize my brother, Aleksander Vers Allusia's claim to the throne, and fully support him in any venture he will do."

"Then by my right as Emperor, I, Rayregalia Vers Rayvers, surrender my crown and my throne and bestow them upon you. Aleksander Vers Allusia, you are now Emperor."

Aleksander stood up. "Thank you, Grandfather. Thank you for everything you have done for me and Asseylum."

Rayregalia Vers Rayvers smiled before turning serious again. "Count Cruhteo, I would ask that you give me the medicine."

Klancain almost looked horrified. "But what about your life, your Majesty?"

"I have lived a long life, but there is one final act I must do." The Emperor spoke slowly as his mind began fading again.

Aleksander nodded sadly. "Is this farewell, Grandfather?"

Asseylum had her head held down. "We'll miss you."

Klancain hung his head in resignation before turning to one of the attendants. "Give him the medicine."

After the medicine had been applied, Rayregalia Vers Rayvers turned to them. "Head back to the Landing Castle. I will handle one last thing for you. But before you go, can I see the two of you smile one last time?"

The siblings did their best. They really did. But the smiles were filled with tears as well, as they lost one of the closest members of their family.

When the trio left, the former Emperor smiled. _Aleksander, I am proud of the man you have become. Lead Vers well._

* * *

To Orbital Knights everywhere, the idea of a new Emperor had not settled in. Which was why when there was an announcement from Vers saying that the Emperor had a declaration to make, counts and countesses all hustled to their control rooms to watch the video feed.

"Orbital Knights, hear me now. I have lived a long life, since the founding of our empire. I remember the day my son Gilzeria stepped up to power, and the day he died. That day, I stepped back into power as Emperor, waiting for the day that one of my grandchildren would take my place. For the longest time, I could not rest, as there was no one suitable to rule. But rejoice! On this day, my grandson has returned from the grave, stronger than ever before, having endured trials and tribulations to return to us. Now, hear my final decree as Emperor. From this day forward, I step down from my throne and give it to my rightful heir. From this day forward, you will all recognize Aleksander Vers Allusia, former prince of Vers, as Emperor!"

* * *

 **I would have done more stuff in this chapter, but I went way past my 4k+ standard for word count already and I didn't want this to run on.**

 **I'm not entirely satisfied with the debate that I had between Count Valerus, Countess Femieanne, and Aleksander. I feel like I could have executed that better.**

 **The anime seemed to forget that Inko is a highly intelligent student, with only Inaho surpassing her in academics. I want to at least try to bring a bit of that back in here.**

 **I have nothing against Calm, it's just that people like him are probably the easiest for me to tease/make fun of.**

 **Also, brownie points to anyone that figures out what I plan to do next (Shadowzerox is exempt from brownie points as he has been instrumental in helping me write this story through suggestions and criticism).**

 **Until next time,**

 **WX**


	25. Second Chances

**Right into chapter 25. Oh, Alek is going to be so pissed.**

 **Also, to everyone who has been asking regarding the ending: Calm your horses. You just have to wait like everyone else.**

* * *

Aleksander stepped up in the control room to where everyone could see him, with Asseylum, Slaine, Count Mazuurek, and Klancain standing to his sides. A gesture of power, if anything else, showing that he had the backing of those most loyal and those desiring change.

"Orbital Knights, hear me and listen. This conflict, which started from a single spark, has taken the lives of millions already. Where peace might have once resided, chaos reigned. All of this from the abuse of a power that was not even ours to begin with. When we first discovered the power of Aldnoah, we were enamored by it, believing in its potential to help create an empire outside of Earth. Years later, drunk off that power, we would attack our home planet, seeking to absorb it into our empire, though we were stopped by Heaven's Fall. Another many years later, when I was on Earth, I saw the direct effects of the reignited war. Hundreds of millions dead, all because we sought to take advantage of something that was not even ours. Let me ask, was it worth it? Was all the pain and suffering caused worth the conquest? It wasn't. The fires of war were staked by my father, who sought to direct the discontent of the people to something just so our empire wouldn't fall apart. That is why I can stand by no longer as people die for no reason. Not just on Earth, but on Vers as well. We have lost good men and women in this war, none of which we can replace, yet despite that it feels as though we have made little to no progress in the raging conflict. This war started because we desired the planet. Yet we have failed to realize that the true treasures of this planet are more than just the resources that it holds. If we were to take it, we would throw away hundreds of years of progress, of innovation, we would be throwing away everything that had been built up over millennia, including our own past. That is why effective immediately, I am ordering all Orbital Knights to stop their advances and withdraw from the Earth. Failure to do so will result in dismissal from the Orbital Knights."

That last bit was the most terrifying part for every count listening. Aleksander could do it with little to no opposition as well, with the people representing most of the power spectrum of Vers backing him, as well as approval from the previous Emperor.

"In light of my new position, I also believe it is time to change the way Vers is run. I will begin by appointing Count Mazuurek as the primary ambassador to Earth, while Count Cruhteo will be in charge of managing affairs among the 37 Clans."

Those first two appointments were little to no surprise to everyone listening, as Count Mazuurek, with his family's reputation for pacifism, would represent peaceful relations with Earth, while Count Cruhteo, as the most loyal clan of all the Orbital Knights, represented someone who would see the new Emperor's changes through. The next appointment though, surprised everyone, including the person that was appointed.

"Finally, I appoint Sir Harklight of Count Troyard's clan as the first Chairman of a council that I am establishing in order to manage domestic policies on Vers. As someone who rose up from the lower class to his current status, he understands the people better than anyone else. That is how I will base my appointments in the coming days. Those who prove their merit in the coming days will also find themselves positions in this council. With your support, I hope to create a bright future for Vers and Earth. Together, we can make strides that would have been unthinkable if we were alone."

Now that was an appointment no one expected. The Emperor had chosen someone of little status to be part of a council that would effectively decide the future of the people. This would undoubtedly create some tensions, though very few would argue against the fact that Emperor Aleksander had quite possibly just commanded the respect of practically every single man and woman not of the upper class.

Aleksander closed off the broadcast before turning around to face his sister. "Asseylum, I understand that you wish to do something, but at this time, your reputation and effectiveness in any position is rather weak. We'll do some things to fix that in the future, but for now I want you to keep a low profile. Listen in on meetings, but do not actively participate in the discussion. It's best that we listen to the people before we take action in regards to policy. When Lemrina announced the establishment of the new kingdom, she set you up."

Asseylum nodded somberly. While she didn't like her brother's instructions, he only had the best in mind for what she could do in the future. "I understand."

"Your Majesty… are you certain someone like me should be the head of such an important group?" Harklight asked. "Not Count Troyard?"

"You're actually from the lower class of Vers. You have the personal experience of living among them, of knowing their struggles. None of us in the upper class have that same luxury. If anyone is in a position to help them, it would be you. Right, Slaine?"

Slaine nodded, smiling while he did so. "I can't imagine anyone else would be as qualified. I only know what Count Saazbaum told me about it. And I trust Harklight to have the skills to do this."

"In the future, the position will be decided by popular vote. To start things out though, someone needed to be appointed to the position. You were best qualified, Harklight. Admittedly, you were also the most conveniently located person as well, but that's beside the point. If you want to change Vers, you need to be in the right position to do so."

Harklight was at a loss of words. "Thank you, your Majesty. I won't let you down!"

Asseylum brought up another question. "What are you going to do regarding Slaine?"

"That's a difficult problem that I still have no answer to." Aleksander admitted. "Through my ascension to Emperor and order to stop the war, Slaine's plan for a kingdom on Earth are gone. There are few among the Orbital Knights who would trust him at this point in time. We need to find a way to restore that trust."

"I see…" Asseylum nodded sadly.

Slaine started. "Your Majesty… why would you endure so much? Why would you go out of your way to help me? I've hurt you, your family, as well as your friends. So why?"

"Because a lot of that was my fault, Slaine." Aleksander said. "I've made many terrible choices that let the war go on, I haven't been the greatest of friends to you either. When you first came to Vers, I was just happy to have someone else my age to interact with. You always went along with what I suggested, even if it was a terrible idea. I have done wrong by you, and I wish to apologize for it. You may have made your own choices, but I pushed you towards those choices."

Before Slaine could give a response though, one of the operators called out. "Milord, there is a transmission coming from an unknown source."

Aleksander frowned. He wasn't expecting anyone. "Put it through."

The face of one Kaoru Mizusaki appeared on the screen. "Emperor Aleksander Vers Allusia, we have a problem."

Suffice to say, Aleksander was surprised. "XO Mizusaki? What's the problem?"

"The Deucalion was attacked by UFE forces. They were supposed to send us to the frontlines during the next battle we had, but your warning put them off, so they accused us of treason and designated the crew of the Deucalion as apprehend on sight."

"Is everyone alright?" Aleksander's brain was working overtime.

Mizusaki shook her head. "We managed to get away from the forces attacking us, but what we didn't know was that they had snuck on board beforehand. No one died, but Amifumi and Kaizuka were arrested on charges of treason before we could react."

Aleksander's response was frighteningly calm. "I'll call you back in a bit. I need to have a talk with a certain chairman."

After the communication channel closed, Aleksander turned to the operator. "Get in touch with the UFE. I need to have a talk with them. Record the conversation too, just in case."

When the video channel opened up to the council, the chairman was first to respond. "Ah, Aleksander Vers Allusia. How kind of you to call us. What is it you want?"

While behind Aleksander, Count Mazuurek and Klancain looked ready to explode at the disrespect, Aleksander put up his arm to stop them. "What is the meaning of this? Why would you arrest two important crewmembers of your most valuable asset?"

"Valuable? I would hardly call it that, seeing as the members of the Deucalion are guilty of treason. We just happened to arrest the two people directly involved in the act of treason."

Aleksander raised an eyebrow. "And that act of treason would be?"

"I'm afraid that the activities of Earth are not privy to your ears. I'm sure everyone understands that."

There was a snort of derision. "You would arrest them simply because they rescued my sister as well as myself from _your_ assassination team? Release them. They have done a service for the Vers Empire and I will not see them imprisoned for an act that would help bring peace between us."

The chairman was not so easily swayed. "Unfortunately, your Highness, we have laws in place regarding these things. What they have done is still treason, as they betrayed their own military authority to do what they did. However, we are willing to strike a deal with you. If you are willing to supply us with the technology to fight the Orbital Knights that refuse to leave this planet, we will release these two prisoners to you. Do try and think about it, our dear Emperor."

When the communication closed off, Asseylum was the first to speak. "We can't just leave them!"

"I agree." Aleksander nodded. "But we can't just give the UFE the weapons either. That was exactly the problem Count Valerus was talking about. And if there is one organization I don't trust, it's the UFE."

"Would Kaizuka be the same Inaho Kaizuka that you recruited to get me out of the Terran base?" Count Mazuurek asked.

"The same one." Aleksander nodded. "He also rescued me as well as Asseylum from the Moon Base when the UFE sent a strike team to kill Asseylum. Inko Amifumi was the one who assisted him in the task."

Count Mazuurek was direct. "Then by all means, we should rescue them. How would it look if the Emperor didn't repay his debt to someone who saved his life?"

"But what do you plan to do?" Klancain asked.

Aleksander turned to his newly appointed Head of the Orbital Knights. "Klancain, tell the Orbital Knights to prep for a concentrated assault on my command."

"Aleksander… you don't mean to go to war again, do you?" Asseylum asked, horrified.

The Emperor turned to his sister. "Not if I can help it. If they force my hand though, I won't have a choice."

"Bloodshed will result!" Asseylum was on the verge of crying.

Aleksander's voice was quietly firm. "Asseylum. I love you dearly as my sister, but it is time for you to grow up. If there is something that will threaten peace in the future, we must eliminate it. Your supposed death may have started the war, but it was my actions that made it continue these past two years. I will not stand by while another potential war brews on the horizon."

Asseylum's eyes watered before she ran out of the room.

"Permission to speak, your Majesty?" Count Mazuurek asked.

"You don't need my permission if it's something of importance. What is it?"

The count looked uneasy. "Should we go so far as to attack the UFE?"

Aleksander shook his head slightly. "If we're lucky, we won't have to use the Orbital Knights. I plan to send in a rescue team first before anything else happens. By that time, the UFE will probably surrender, seeing as they've lost their bargaining chips. The Orbital Knights are mainly there as an intimidation factor."

Count Mazuurek looked a bit more relieved. "I see." He headed out.

"Slaine, I want you to form a team to rescue the two prisoners. We'll be taking custody of them for the foreseeable future."

Slaine looked like he wanted to puke. "Me? Rescue Inaho Kaizuka?"

"And Inko Amifumi. Yes, I know you've tried to kill Inaho a couple times already. But that's beside the point. Inaho is also my friend."

"But where are they even being held?" At the very least, he looked willing to do it.

Aleksander looked surprisingly composed for someone whose friends had been captured. "I think I have a way to find out. In the meantime, find people for the strike team."

Slaine bowed before heading out. "Yes… Aleksander."

Klancain turned to his Emperor, who had the slightest hint of a smile on his face. "You're not bothered at all by his lack of title usage, your Majesty?"

"I think I told you to drop the formalities, Klancain. I told the same thing to Slaine years ago when he first found out I was a prince. The way I see it, friends should not have to address each other formally. Even if the respective positions of said friends are as different as a beggar and a god. I didn't want Slaine to associate me with someone unapproachable, so I asked him to drop the formalities."

"I see. I assume you did the same with your friends on Earth?" Klancain was intrigued.

Aleksander smiled lightly. "It would be hard to make friends otherwise. But I digress. Call the Deucalion."

When the transmission patched through, Darzana Magbaredge stood on the other side. "It's good to see you again."

Aleksander recognized her hesitation in calling him by his old name. "Go ahead and use my last name, Captain. I don't mind. But that aside, do you know where Inko and Inaho were taken to?"

The captain shook her head. "We've narrowed it down to somewhere in Siberia. Where exactly, we're not sure."

Before Aleksander could reply, he heard a rolling sound as a familiar face appeared on the screen. "Aleksander!"

Aleksander was surprised. "Lemrina, what is it?"

"Inko has your laser transmitter. You should be able to use it to find her. They confiscated it as evidence that she was conspiring with Vers."

Now that was something Aleksander could take advantage of. He turned to an operator. "I need you to track the laser transmitter that Count Mazuurek always contacted me at. Just ping a signal."

"Yes, your Majesty!"

When the trace came back, Aleksander almost wondered why he didn't think of that location first. "Novosibirsk. They took them to Novosibirsk of all places. They could have chosen any ambiguous place and we would have had a more difficult chance of finding them, but Novosibirsk? Seriously?"

"It's their most heavily defended base still, even after Count Saazbaum attacked it. The civilians evacuated with the supplies a while back. All that's left are the soldiers and the weapons."

"They have no Aldnoah, though. The only drives that were active are on the Deucalion, and I deactivated all of them before I left."

"What do you plan to do, Audet?" The captain asked.

Aleksander already had a response, a dangerous glint in his eye. "How do you feel about defecting from the UFE?"

* * *

Inko yelped as she was roughly pushed into a holding cell before the door was slammed behind her. This was not what she had expected to happen.

She glared at the door before hearing a voice in the room next to hers. "Inko? Is that you?"

"Inaho! Are you alright?" They couldn't actually see each other, so all Inko could do was ask.

"I'm alright. I could do with a couple more blankets though. It's rather cold in here. And school uniforms aren't that good for retaining heat. How about you?" Inaho said.

Had it been any other situation, Inko would have smiled a bit at Inaho's comments. They'd fought for almost two years now, and Inaho still worried about people getting sick from the cold. It was an endearing trait of his. Nevertheless, that wasn't Inko's biggest concern. "You're not worried about being stuck here?"

"I'm worried. I just don't think that we can do anything about it."

"Oh… Where are we?" Inko had to wonder.

Inaho answered right away. "I believe we're in Novosibirsk, assuming the inner structure hasn't changed. At least, that's what my analytical engine suggests."

"Novosibirsk… you mean we're back where we were when Count Saazbaum attacked?" Inko asked.

"I believe so, yes. What is it?"

"No, it's just that I expected them to take us to some more obscure place if we were supposed to be arrested for treason." Inko said.

"I'm just glad that we're somewhere that's easy to locate." Inaho said.

Inko was a slight bit confused. "You're not worried about the fact that we're stuck here as prisoners?"

Inaho shook his head, even though Inko couldn't see the motion. "I am, but I'm not that worried. Alek will come for us."

Inko couldn't help but smile. "You're right. Alek will come. We just need to wait."

"There is something that has been bothering me, though."

"Huh?"

"Alek keeps on having these weird reactions every time I'm around Seylum. I still don't know why."

Now that was a topic of interest to kill the time. "In what sense of the word 'weird'?" Inko just had to ask.

"Every time we talk, Alek seems to start fidgeting and show signs of nervousness. It doesn't make sense to me."

If there was one thing that Inko Amifumi had been able to pride herself on recently, it was her willpower. Mainly, her will to seek out solutions for Vers despite it not being her homeland, her will to stay with Alek even if it would be difficult for them, and her will to listen to put aside all the pain that had been caused to both Earth and Vers during the war in lieu of peaceful solutions. Yet for all that willpower, she simply did not have the strength to avoid laughing at what she recognized as Alek's overprotective older brother symptoms.

"Inko?" Inaho was showing slight signs of irritation.

Catching her breath, Inko explained. "Alek freaks out easily where family and romantic interactions are involved. He's just being an overprotective older brother to Asseylum."

"That still doesn't… Oh." Inaho paused as everything finally clicked together for him. "So that's what he meant when he asked Seylum not to give him a heart attack through telling him that he should be expecting a happy announcement."

Alek was a paranoid older brother. A funny but paranoid older brother.

* * *

Slaine was exhausted. While he managed to put together a team for the rescue operation, he was starting to wonder whether or not all the effort was worth it. No matter what happened, his credibility had been shattered the moment he stood behind Aleksander. Now, he was just plain old Count Troyard who had nothing to his power. Could he do anything for the Vers Empire? He wasn't sure. Nor was he sure that he wanted to, now. After Princess Asseylum and Princess Lemrina had left the Moon Base, he lost essentially every advantage he had.

Lemrina. That was a person he hadn't thought about in a while. He still remembered when he first met her, surprised that there was another member of the royal family. Lemrina had impressed upon Slaine differently than either Aleksander or Princess Asseylum had. For one thing, she had actually tried to understand him as a person. Though she held the same interest in Earth that the rest of her family did, she also had interest in Slaine Troyard. Not as Sir Slaine Troyard, the vassal of Count Saazbaum or Count Troyard, the most powerful of the Orbital Knights for a time. She was the first person to truly acknowledge Slaine for the person he was. To try and actually learn more about him.

Slaine didn't know what it was, but he felt something for her. After everything she had done for him, pretending to be someone she was not, she deserved something. In a way, Slaine was glad that she wasn't here.

— _Flashback—_

" _Your Highness, where is Princess Lemrina?" Slaine had to ask._

" _On the way to Earth on the Deucalion." Aleksander replied._

 _Slaine looked at him, bewildered. "Why?"_

 _Aleksander turned to him, a serious look on his face. "Because she deserves at least one thing in her life to go the way she wants. I wanted to give her a fresh start at life. With the war ending, Earth provides her with exactly the opportunity that she's looking for."_

 _Slaine frowned. "She doesn't have any money. It'll be difficult for her."_

" _International bank account. Used to be mine, but I've decided to give it all to her. She could probably make better use of it than I might in the future."_

 _That… was actually really thoughtful of Aleksander. Then again, Slaine should have expected him to act the way he did, seeing as Aleksander looked out for family for the most part._

" _Why did you let her go to Earth instead of coming to the Landing Castle?" Slaine asked._

 _Aleksander looked critically at Slaine. "You should know, Slaine. You're a terran. You know the kind of prejudice you faced. How do you think the Orbital Knights would receive a bastard child of the Emperor who had intentionally impersonated a legitimate heir to the throne in order to throw a wrench in the Empire?"_

" _She never desired such a thing though."_

" _It's not about what her intentions were. It's how they came across. And I refuse to let her take consequences for something just because it was the only thing she knew."_

— _Flashback End—_

Aleksander had a point, of course. Lemrina being welcome on Vers was highly unlikely, and chances were that any mistake she made would be considered the failings of a bastard child. Still though, Slaine couldn't help but miss her somewhat. At the very least, they were acquaintances of some level, though Slaine found it hard to believe that they were only acquaintances. After everything they went through, it would be unfair to not call them at least partners of some sort.

He was brought out of his thoughts when the door opened. "Count Troyard, the Emperor would like to talk to you. It's about the mission plan."

Slaine stood up. "I'll be there in a couple minutes."

* * *

"The mission plan will commence as a hit-and-run operation: We'll begin by sending in the rescue team on the Deucalion a small distance away from Novosibirsk. We'll store the Tharsis on the Deucalion as well, so that once Inko Amifumi and Inaho Kaizuka are located, we can use it to quickly extract them. Using the optical disguises, the rescue team will infiltrate the base as UFE soldiers and locate the prisoners. While that's going on, we'll drop Castle Mazuurek a short distance away to draw the attention of the UFE while the Deucalion moves in to extract everyone else. In the meantime, Castle Mazuurek will prioritize taking out their main defenses. I'll come out in the Hengroen if we need more firepower. We want to avoid casualties, so focus on disabling rather than killing if possible. Remember though, you should prioritize your lives over theirs. I care more about you living than them dying. Pull off this mission, and we can have negotiations on our terms, which should maximize the benefit for Vers. Without said prisoners, they will have lost their bargaining chip. Any questions?" Aleksander asked.

"What exactly is the value of the priority extraction targets?" One of the men on Slaine's rescue team asked. "Why are they so important that you would refuse to continue negotiations without them?"

Aleksander answered promptly. "Those of us from the royal family owe a debt to them for keeping us out of harm's way during the attack on the Moon Base. They risked going against their allies in order to keep us safe. We owe them our lives and nothing less. The other prisoners there are most likely either prisoners of war or people who have opposed the UFE's method of doing things. Remember, we are not going to war with all of Earth. Our quarry is the United Forces of Earth, an organization that aims to compromise the Vers Empire and by extension, Earth."

The group understood. A couple of terrans rescuing the royal family was a big deal, especially if they were opposing their authorities in doing so. Not rescuing them would have sent the message that the Emperor was an ungrateful bastard, which could hurt relations with not just Earth, but the Orbital Knights as well if their Emperor seemed weak.

"If that is all, you're dismissed. The mission will commence in an hour." Aleksander said.

* * *

Lemrina didn't expect to find herself in a Landing Castle once again. Then again, she also never expected her future sister-in-law to get kidnapped either, along with her (maybe?) future brother-in-law. Or to go back into space because it was safer than on Earth.

Either way, when the Deucalion's captain asked her to stay on Castle Mazuurek because it would be safer, she complied. To her surprise, the first person she ran into was the person she wanted to talk to.

"Slaine." Lemrina looked at him in interest.

Seeing as no one was around, Slaine did a small bow. "Princess Lemrina. How can I help you?"

Lemrina decided not to correct Slaine on his addressing her. There were different questions that she wanted to ask. "Have you been well?"

Slaine smiled. A genuine one, she noticed. "Surprisingly well. Though I wish I could do more, Aleksander has been rather concerned for me and how the Orbital Knights would react to my breaking the promise of a kingdom on Earth."

"And my sister?" Lemrina had to ask.

"He's been showing the same concern for her. He said she should probably stay out of politics for a while, after all that's happened."

Lemrina couldn't help but feel somewhat guilty at that piece of information. "All because I decided to impersonate her. How is she, by the way?"

Slaine replied. "We're assuming that she's returned to her room. She was rather upset when Aleksander mentioned that they might have to prepare for battle again. And you shouldn't blame yourself, Princess Lemrina. I'm as much to blame as you are for the situation."

It seemed unfair to Lemrina, that she was the one who got away with any repercussions while her sister had to pay for her actions. After all, she was the one who got the Orbital Knights riled up, even if it was Slaine that was technically the mastermind behind the plan.

There was something else that Lemrina was wondering. "Do you still love her?"

Slaine shook his head. "I don't think I ever actually did. I think it's more likely that I was obsessed with her. With what she embodied. And even if I did love her, I don't deserve her. What I've done is completely opposite to what she desired."

Before they could continue their discussion, a familiar voice came from down the hall. "Slaine, are you busy— oh, Lemrina."

Lemrina and Slaine turned to see Aleksander coming down the hall wearing a casual jacket. Which once again made it difficult to associate him with the position of Emperor. They both stared at him in confusion for a second. Said Emperor was confused.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"That jacket makes it hard to think of you as an Emperor."

Aleksander shrugged. "It's warm enough, and I like practicality over fanciness when it comes to my clothes."

"Right. Did you need something, Aleksander?" Slaine asked.

"Not really. I just came to inform you that we just finished loading the Tharsis onto the Deucalion."

"Aleksander, can I talk to you in private?" Lemrina asked.

Slaine excused himself while the siblings went into a room to talk.

"What did Dr. Yagarai say regarding your legs?" Aleksander asked.

"He said that I would be able to walk. It's just that the treatment takes a couple years to finish."

Aleksander sighed in relief. "That's good news."

"Aleksander, why am I the only person who gets out of this without any repercussions?"

"What do you mean?" Aleksander asked.

"I'm the one who impersonated Asseylum and incited the Orbital Knights to continue fighting. Why am I not being punished for it? Why is she the one who has to suffer?"

Aleksander was silent for a while as he pondered his answer. "Because the other option would be to reveal you to the Orbital Knights, and I have no reason to believe that they would show you any mercy at all. I told you before that because you that I was helping you because you are part of the family. I still stand by that statement even now. Even if you were purposefully helping Slaine, you were still being used. You didn't know any better, because Slaine was the first person you could ever relate with. Am I wrong?"

"You're not… but what exactly do you want for me?" Lemrina asked.

"Go out and explore Earth. Take in the sights. I want you to form your own opinions. I can't promise that you'll always be happy, but I can promise you this: For the first time in your life, you'll be free. It's not that I don't want your help in restoring the trust of the Orbital Knights in Asseylum, but this is something she has to do herself. In fact, all the consequences that occurred are things that we need to fix ourselves."

Lemrina looked down at Earth as she processed her brother's words. "Free… Do you truly think I can ever be free? The royal blood that I've hated all my life still runs through me. The power to activate Aldnoah still runs in that blood. What's to say that I won't be dragged back in the future?"

"We won't know unless we try. And really, that's all that life is about. For all the planning that we can do, for all the scheming and preparations we make for the future, we will never be able to expect everything." Aleksander knelt down to talk face-to-face with Lemrina. "If you really think you need to do something, tell me. I'll be here to listen. You don't have to face any of this alone."

"And what about Slaine? What will happen to him?"

Aleksander almost seemed hesitant to say what was next on his mind. "When Slaine came here, he offered his life to me. He was willing to accept any punishment that I delivered. So I told him that he would fight for the world that I seek to create until the day he died."

Lemrina looked horrified. "How could you?"

Her brother frowned. "Because people need to understand that I am not someone who is willing to let others push me around. I didn't do it because I wanted to. I did it to send a message to the Orbital Knights. To tell them that I would not tolerate independent actions that would compromise the future of either Vers or Earth."

"Aleksander… what you're doing is almost as bad as sentencing him to death."

"I realize. But I can't just retract that sentence." Aleksander pointed out sadly. "Slaine was responsible for deceiving the Orbital Knights. But he was my first friend. I may have been a terrible friend to him, but it was through him that I learned how to connect with other people. This was the least severe punishment I could give that would get the Orbital Knights off him. A good number of them still want his blood to spill, but they won't dare to challenge me like this."

"I see…" Lemrina looked sad.

Aleksander looked at her. "Do you still care for him that much?"

Lemrina nodded. "He was the first person that I could ever relate with. I still haven't found someone else that could relate in the same way."

Aleksander closed his eyes in thought. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you, Aleksander."

"I need to go now. I'm expected back in the briefing room in a couple minutes. I'll come to check up on you every once in a while once this is all over."

* * *

Inko had almost nodded off when an alarm suddenly sounded throughout the base. "Warning: Landing Castle arrival is imminent. Repeat: Landing Castle arrival is imminent. Prepare for incoming attack."

It made Inko wonder, was this Alek's doing? She had seen the announcement when it was made, which made her wonder. It seemed unlikely that Alek would be the one attacking. After all, he had made it clear that his preference was to a lasting peace. About five minutes later, she had a different tune in mind.

"Can you hear me? Get away from the door!" A female voice from right outside the door called.

Inko jumped and complied as the handle of the door suddenly exploded. A distinctly Versian uniform could be seen through the smoke. "Are you Inko Amifumi? We have orders to bring you and Inaho Kaizuka to the Landing Castle. Please hurry."

That left little room for discussion, so Inko and Inaho followed the group. "Wait, is this a rescue operation?"

"That's right. We're trying to avoid casualties, so please hurry." The woman- no, girl who had busted open their doors said.

* * *

"Signal confirmed, the prisoners have been located." One of the operators reported.

Aleksander breathed a sigh of relief from where he was sitting in the Hengroen's cockpit. "Have the Deucalion move in and launch the Tharsis. I'll head out in the Hengroen."

"Your Majesty, that might be inadvisable. We've detected movement coming from the lower parts of the UFE base."

Aleksander frowned. "How long until the Tharsis reaches the meeting point?"

"It should be there any moment."

* * *

When Slaine landed, it was not without a sense of apprehension. It almost seemed too easy to get in. He met up with the rescue team quickly enough, though. So that was one thing that went well.

When he opened up his cockpit to bring in the two prisoners, the girl had to ask. "You're Slaine Troyard, right? Did Alek order this?"

Slaine nodded. "This is a hit-and-run mission. Once we retrieve all the prisoners here, we're evacuating everyone. The Deucalion is coming in a couple minutes to rescue the other prisoners. You and Kaizuka are the primary objectives."

The girl, who Slaine had decided to assume was Inko based on how she addressed Aleksander, seemed to decide on something. "I'm staying here."

"That would be inadvisable. You know how much Alek cares for you, Inko. It would eat at him if you were hurt in any way." A familiar voice said from behind her.

Slaine's eyes narrowed his eyes. "Kaizuka."

"Slaine Troyard. You're here to retrieve us, right?"

"By order of the Emperor, yes."

"Then let's go. The sooner we get out, the sooner we can stop this fighting."

Now Slaine remembered why he disliked Inaho so much. He was callous, with little mind for respect. Despite that, orders were orders. "Come on, hurry up. You too, Amifumi."

Inko relented and got into the surprisingly roomy cockpit, followed by Inaho. Slaine hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should wait for the Deucalion to arrive.

"You should go ahead, Count Troyard. We can hold out until the Deucalion arrives."

Slaine was about to launch when the Tharsis picked up on an incoming shot. "Look out!"

He barely reached out his arm in time to protect the rescue team from being blown to pieces. As it was, the Tharsis's left arm was blown off.

"Get to cover! I'll hold them off!" Slaine roared at the team.

He turned the Tharsis to face his greatest challenge yet.

"That's—" Inko's eyes widened as she beheld the familiar kataphrakts.

No one could mistake the glowing energy wings. Inko and Inaho recognized them from multiple missions fought together with the original pilot. Slaine recognized it as the most dangerous kataphrakt developed by the UFE.

And to top it off, there were five of them.

Inaho's eyes took in the sight before finishing everyone's thoughts.

"KG-9 Pegasus."

* * *

 **Don't you just love it when you think you're in the clear and then suddenly everything goes wrong?**

 **If there is one thing I wish I could do better, it would be doing more character insight/development on other characters in the story. From a logical standpoint, Harklight is by far the ideal choice for his position, but I really wish he had more of a buildup before he got to that point.**

 **I'd say you could probably imagine how things are going to go, but that might just be me projecting my thoughts on you guys.**

 **So how was this chapter? Good? Too cliché? Bad?**

 **Anyways, constructive criticism is always appreciated. Longer parts of stories focusing on a single aspect tend to accumulate more errors and I'm always worried that I might have missed something, whether it be an incomplete part, a technical error, or just some conflicting bits within the story.**

 **Until next time,**

 **WX**


	26. Tears

**This basically follows up on where we left off.**

 **So clearly, one of the big questions is this: How did the UFE get their hands on activated Aldnoah drives when Alek deactivated every single one except for the one on the Deucalion?**

* * *

"Your Majesty, there's a problem."

Aleksander grit his teeth. "I know. I see it."

"There are five White Deaths…" One of the operators was clearly terrified, judging by the tone of his voice. In his defense, being scared of the White Death was not irrational. After all, the reputation of the kataphrakt was well-known to all the Orbital Knights.

Aleksander didn't even wait another second before calling out his orders. "Open the hatch now. I'm going to launch."

"But your Majesty, if you go out your chances of surviving are—"

"I will not let the men and women risking their lives out there die in vain." Aleksander snapped. "Open the gates now."

The moment Aleksander launched, he called everyone connected to the Vers communication channel. "This is Emperor Aleksander Vers Allusia. I will draw away the attention of the UFE kataphrakts. While I am doing so, have everyone else finish evacuations and get away. Go!"

Aleksander fired at the group of kataphrakts floating in the air. As they scattered, Aleksander chased after them, all the while trying to get them away from the rescue teams.

"They dare…" Aleksander muttered. "They actually dare to use the Pegasus…"

As one of the Pegasus kataphrakts turned to try and fire at the Hengroen, its pilot suddenly found himself in freefall as his cockpit was separated from the rest of the kataphrakt. He could only watch as the kataphrakt he had piloted was completely destroyed.

"Klancain, have someone locate the UFE authorities and transmit their location to the Deucalion. They have to answer for this." Aleksander ordered as he cut through another Pegasus, once again leaving the cockpit intact.

"Yes, Aleksander."

Aleksander turned the Hengroen around to look at the three remaining Pegasi, which had decided to take a more cautious approach to him. He took a deep breath.

* * *

"We need to help Alek!" Inko looked desperate.

Slaine shook his head. "My orders were to bring you to the Landing Castle safely."

The Tharsis was running along the ground to the Landing Castle in order to avoid grabbing the attention of the UFE kataphrakts. Thankfully enough, Castle Mazuurek had done its job in destroying most, if not all of the UFE defenses.

When they were a decently safe distance away, Slaine suddenly received a transmission from Klancain. "Count Troyard."

"Count Cruhteo."

"Can you support the Emperor right now? Your kataphrakt is the closest to his location."

Slaine shook his head. "I have my orders."

"You also had orders to fight for the world that Aleksander sought to create." Klancain shot back. "If Aleksander dies, then the world he seeks to create will also die."

That made Slaine rethink for a moment. On one hand, he had his orders. On the other hand, his first friend was out there fighting three high-level kataphrakts by himself.

Between himself and the man who had the potential to change the world, Slaine felt there was no contest.

Turning to his two passengers, he asked. "What I'm about to do might get us killed. Are you ready for that?"

The two of them nodded, with no words needing to be said among the three of them. Slaine turned back around. "Tharsis, engaging the enemy."

* * *

Aleksander was having a difficult time with the remaining Pegasus units, as they took great care to always remain on the move. One on three was not a fair fight in any way, shape or form. Especially when the kataphrakts in question were only a single generation apart in terms of development. Not to mention that Aleksander didn't want to kill if he could help it. If not for the fact that an analytical engine had been installed in the Hengroen, there was a good chance that he would have been shot down a while ago.

Aleksander narrowly avoided another blast of a railgun when his sensors picked up on a spray of bullets that warded off a kataphrakt. Looking down, he was surprised to see the Tharsis flying up to him.

A video link was established. "Aleksander!"

"Slaine? I thought I told you to head to the Castle Mazuurek!" Aleksander almost shouted.

"Your safety comes first, Aleksander! You can't change the world if you're dead!" Slaine shouted back.

Aleksander grit his teeth. Slaine was right, of course, but Inko was still in the Tharsis and he would be damned if he let her get hurt in this fight. "Provide cover fire. I'll take the brunt of them."

Like that, they were off. Aleksander made sure to fly upward so that the enemy units would have to focus their firing angles away from the Tharsis. At the same time, flying higher made it easier to target him. But between almost hitting him and certainly hitting Slaine, he'd take the former.

At least, that was the plan. Which went straight out the window when Aleksander had to activate the energy shields to block the railgun shots. While the shots themselves didn't do any damage, the fact that there were so many, coupled with the fact that the enemy kataphrakts were relentless, made him fall off balance.

"Aleksander, watch out!"

The Tharsis pushed the Hengroen out of the way just in time, which meant that Aleksander had completely avoided the shots that went by.

The same could not be said for Slaine.

The railgun shots punched through the Tharsis, somehow miraculously missing the cockpit, though the same could not be said for the rest of it. And given how high up in the air they were, the safety of the people inside could not be guaranteed as the Tharsis fell to the ground.

It was at this point that Aleksander saw red.

The former prince had talked casually multiple times about seeing red wherever his family was involved, but those were usually petty little moments. The red that he saw at that moment was a merciless one. One that occurred only when the people he loved had been potentially killed. Up until that moment, Aleksander had been trying to avoid killing the pilots, as shown by the cockpits that had landed safely on the ground. All that mercy went out the window when the Tharsis was shot down.

"Hengroen, AOS, activate!"

Aldnoah Overload System, a feature that was only accessible on the Hengroen due to the fact that it utilized multiple Aldnoah drives. Instead of each Aldnoah drive powering individual parts of the Hengroen like it normally did, the Aldnoah drives would redirect power into a single Aldnoah drive which would then increase the overall power output by roughly four-fold for a very short period of time. After which, the Aldnoah drive would be disconnected to avoid an explosion in the system.

There was a catch, though. Precision was impossible when utilizing this mode, which made avoiding killing extremely difficult. For that reason, Aleksander had decided not to use it.

Unfortunately for the UFE pilots still in the air, Aleksander was no longer feeling merciful. It took fifteen seconds for the Hengroen to destroy the rest of the UFE kataphrakts still in the air. Aleksander then directed the Hengroen to pick up what remained of the Tharsis's cockpit, which was in terrible shape, and bring it to Castle Mazuurek.

It was now a battle against time to rescue them, if they were still alive.

* * *

"Well, we've proven that as long as we have the Aldnoah drives, we can begin to stand up to the invading Martians."

"To think that five ninth-generation kataphrakts would not be able to stand up to a tenth generation… Well, with the combat data, we should be able to make up for that difference soon enough."

The UFE board had been crafty in leaving Novosibirsk, taking a different underground tunnel that few people knew about. Once they got to the aircraft waiting for them, they would be home free, able to one day turn the tables and force the Vers Empire to bow to them.

The board chairman was almost ecstatic. "To think that someone would be willing to supply us with those Aldnoah drives… with the ones we still have, the Vers Empire won't last much longer."

As they were about to board the plane, a voice spoke over the intercom. "Do you really think so, chairman? The way I see it, your death is imminent."

That was the only warning that the UFE board had before the hangar exploded in flames, leaving no survivors.

* * *

"Targets are now eliminated. Good work, everyone. We'll now head back to the Landing Castle." Darzana Magbaredge ordered the bridge.

Kaoru Mizusaki looked at the base in somewhat wary apprehension. "Do you think things will get worse now?"

"Only time will tell."

* * *

Aleksander was sitting beside Inko's bed in the medical bay, looking about as torn as he could be. _This is my fault. I couldn't even protect her._

Miraculously, everyone aboard the Tharsis had survived somehow, though none made it out unscathed, having borne severe injuries for the most part. Had Aleksander been any slower in making it to the Castle Mazuurek, they might not have survived.

Aleksander took a deep breath, trying to control himself. He would not cry. It was not becoming of an Emperor of the Vers Empire to show weakness. And yet, he had nearly done so in the last couple hours.

A door opened up. "Your Majesty? The Deucalion has returned with the rest of the rescue team and the prisoners."

"Is anyone injured?" Aleksander asked, his voice a dead monotone.

"A couple of them were, but those were minor injuries for the most part. One of the rescue team will have to have a bullet removed, but they're fine."

"I see. Tell them that they did an excellent job, and to take a long break. They deserve it."

With that, the person reporting left, leaving Aleksander to his thoughts once again. A couple moments later though, the door opened again and the familiar sound of a wheelchair rolling in was heard. Aleksander felt someone else's hand pressed on top of his, though he didn't respond.

"How are they?" Lemrina asked, her voice soft.

Aleksander's reply was slow. "Inaho's injuries were the least severe out of all of them. He should be up any minute now, seeing as he lucked out with only a broken arm and a concussion. Inko's were much more dangerous. Broken ribs, broken arm, a punctured lung, and multiple lacerations as well. It's a miracle she's still alive."

"Will she make a full recovery?" Lemrina asked, worried.

"She'll heal, but the doctors aren't sure how much of the damage will be permanent, or when she'll wake up." Aleksander said bitterly.

"And Slaine?" Lemrina asked.

Aleksander was quiet. "His are the worst. The doctors are still working on him. Even now, there's still a chance that he could die."

Lemrina gasped in shock, fear taking her face.

"I'm sorry." Aleksander closed his eyes.

They sat there in silence for a little while longer before the door opened again, Klancain coming through this time. "Aleksander, something just came up. Princess Asseylum was found to have left the Landing Castle and returned."

Aleksander stood up. "When did she leave?"

"A little while after you started making plans with the Deucalion for the rescue mission."

"I see. Where is she now?"

"In her room. She hasn't said anything at all."

The Emperor of Vers turned to his half-sister. "Can you look after them for a little while?"

Lemrina nodded. "I will."

Aleksander walked out of the room, Klancain following him. "Aleksander, you look terrible. At least get some rest first. You haven't looked right since those three were brought in for treatment."

"I'll get some rest after I talk to my sister." Aleksander snapped. Stopping for a second, he apologized. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. Klancain, did I make the right choice in going about this operation? Is my judgement compromised by my emotions?"

Klancain was silent as he pondered his answer. "When I first heard of your plans, I was worried that your planned peace with Earth would compromise Vers. When you began appointing people to positions, I was a bit more assured. Appointing Count Mazuurek as an ambassador was the ideal choice for forwarding your plans, while appointing Sir Harklight was ideal if you were looking for changes domestically as well. If there was ever anything that made me doubt you, it was this operation. Not only did you put yourself at risk, you also risked men and women's lives to rescue prisoners that we may have been able to make negotiations for. Despite that, you acted for the people, and though the operation itself was questionable, we had few casualties and were able to take away the UFE's bargaining chip. That is commendable."

"But those few that were injured were the ones I cared the most deeply about. I should be satisfied with the results, but I'm not. Is something wrong with me, Klancain?"

Klancain shook his head. "You have every right to be sad, Aleksander. But that does not mean you should let it bring you down. You have to take the opportunity while you can, find what you can do with the current situation. Do I believe your judgement is compromised by your emotions? Yes. But only where seizing opportunities is involved. In other things, someone might have done a better job than you. But you were the one there at the time. You made it work, despite all rationale saying that it wouldn't. Princess Asseylum asked me a while back where I stood. At the time, I told her that I hadn't made a decision as to where I stand."

He turned around and took a knee. "I have my answer now, Aleksander. I will serve you until the day I die. So long as you do not stray from your ideals, I will support you."

When the count finally looked up, it was into Aleksander's face. It wasn't smiling, but it held a determination there.

"I should go see Asseylum now."

Klancain almost missed the "thank you" as Aleksander walked past him.

Key word being 'almost'.

* * *

Asseylum looked out the viewing area that she had from her room. She had left the Landing Castle for a small while, finally making it back. To her surprise, everything seemed to be over by the time she returned to the Landing Castle. While she wondered as to why, she hoped what she did had helped Earth.

When the door opened, Asseylum turned, not surprised in the least to see her brother. "Aleksander."

"You were the one who supplied the UFE with the Aldnoah drives, weren't you, Asseylum?"

Asseylum glared at Aleksander. "I couldn't let you just destroy them. I had to help."

"Had you waited a little bit, you would have discovered that the mission we came up with was a rescue operation that focused on having as few casualties as possible." Aleksander was blunt.

That made Asseylum uneasy. Had she made a mistake? Maybe, but she had reason still. "Even so, we had no right to continue attacking Earth. We've destroyed so much already, why should we destroy more? Besides, the Aldnoah drives will only be of benefit. And maybe if you hadn't been so attached to Inko, you could have thought of a better idea."

"Is that what you really think?"

Asseylum flinched. What did Aleksander know?

"Asseylum, come with me. There's something you should see."

Asseylum decided to walk along. "Was the rescue mission a success?"

"Did we recover all the prisoners? Yes."

"I see."

Aleksander glanced at his sister. "Asseylum, do you know anything about the kataphrakt known as the White Death?"

Asseylum looked at Aleksander, confused. "I heard Count Valerus mention it, but I don't know anything else about it."

"The White Death is a kataphrakt that is officially known as the KG-9 Pegasus, the most advanced UFE kataphrakt in existence, and the ultimate weapon against the Vers kataphrakts. During the two years that you were asleep, the Pegasus was singularly accountable for the destruction of six different clans, as well as also being the kataphrakt that killed Count Saazbaum. It was powered by a single Aldnoah drive. Its service ended when it was shot down and the pilot captured by the joined effort of three counts. The pilot was me."

"So that's why you were on the Moon Base?" Asseylum asked.

Aleksander nodded. "I was assumed dead after the attack in Russia. Slaine had me captured and brought to the Moon Base to confirm my survival."

"Why are you telling me all this?"

"Because when you gave the UFE those Aldnoah drives, they were used to power five kataphrakts, which were mass-production versions of the Pegasus."

Asseylum look horrified as she began to understand what Aleksander was talking about. "Did anyone from the rescue team—"

"Not yet. But that's not to say that someone might."

They finally reached the medical bay, where the viewing window was clear. Asseylum's eyes teared up as she saw Inko and Inaho lying unconscious in their beds.

"Will they recover?" Asseylum asked.

"Inaho is expected to recover fully, Inko on the other hand is uncertain." Aleksander said.

Asseylum noticed Aleksander's hand tightened into a shaking fist where it was hanging at his side. "I'm sorry, Aleksander."

"Save your apologies for later, Asseylum." Aleksander directed Asseylum to another door labeled 'Intensive Care'.

"Who's in here?" Asseylum asked, almost too afraid to hear the answer.

"It's Slaine. Out of the three seriously injured people we had, Slaine's injuries were and still are the worst. The doctors don't know if he will live."

Asseylum was starting to lose her composure. "H-how did they…"

"The rest of the rescue team made it away safely because I launched in the Hengroen to fight off the Pegasus units. Slaine came over to support, and while he was pushing me out of harm's way, he got caught in it himself. And because Inaho and Inko were in the kataphrakt with him, they were severely injured as well. The kataphrakts were destroyed, but this was the cost."

Aleksander continued. "Without the advanced UFE kataphrakts, we would have been able to make it out without any casualties at all. Instead, this happened. You wanted to help, Asseylum? This is what your 'help' did. You injure Inaho, you cause permanent harm to Inko, and you may have quite possibly gotten Slaine killed. Because you're my sister, I will let you off this time. But only this once. If you get in my way again, I will not hesitate to strike you down. Especially if you are my enemy. So tell me, dear sister, was it worth it? Was giving the UFE the Aldnoah drives really worth this?"

Asseylum couldn't take it anymore. She curled up and started crying. "I-I never meant to— t-this wasn't supposed to—"

"Asseylum Vers Allusia, I told you to grow up. And yet, for all that I told you, it feels like you haven't matured even a little bit. You still hold on to what you believe you care for, simply because you have been told so. Stop letting your heart guide you and focus on being rational. I once said you would have made the better ambassador. Clearly, I was wrong. You're free to go. That's all I wanted to say."

Asseylum's legs gave way. "I'm so sorry."

"I told you to save your apologies." Aleksander walked off. In all her despair, Asseylum didn't hear her brother tell the guards to give her some space.

A few moments later, a door opened and Asseylum felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw Lemrina.

Lemrina's smile was sad. "Aleksander is hurting as bad as you are right now. And even though he doesn't show it, he blames himself for their injuries. For not being strong enough to protect those that he cares about."

"And I'm to blame for that." Asseylum said bitterly. "I should never have interfered."

* * *

"Your Majesty, we're receiving a transmission."

"Put it through." Aleksander ordered.

Aleksander was treated to a face that he had never seen before. "My apologies for not contacting you earlier, Emperor Aleksander Vers Allusia. I am Louise Almark, president of the United Earth government."

Aleksander nodded. "And what exactly does the president of the United Earth government want?"

"We are willing to negotiate with you in regards to establishing peaceful relations with the Vers Empire."

"In exchange for?" Aleksander asked.

"The agreement that the Vers Empire assists Earth in rebuilding its homes and improving them utilizing its advanced technologies."

Aleksander nodded. "That is acceptable. However, I have a few requirements that I expect to be met."

President Almark looked serious. "Name them."

"First and foremost, I expect the complete dissolution of the UFE. What happens to the members is not my concern, but I am not willing to tolerate the existence of an organization that has continually threatened the Vers Empire."

"That is understandable. What is your next requirement?"

"Throughout the rebuilding of major cities on Earth, I expect that the embassies will have a level of importance as well. Along with that, there should be a continuous flow of information between Vers and Earth so that we can figure out how to benefit each other."

The president looked thoughtful at this. "I can certainly see the merit in having open communications. Is there anything else?"

"Just one last thing that I believe you should be able to accommodate. I want the UE to supply land where current citizens of the Vers Empire can move to if they do not wish to continue to live under Vers supervision. I'll send you a list of the details later on in regards to the specifics." Aleksander finished up. "I understand if you find this difficult to swallow, but I will not compromise in regards to these three requirements. In the immediate future, Count Mazuurek will be the person you will wish to contact, as he is my official representative on Earth."

"I understand. I will convene with the rest of the government to discuss these conditions. Thank you for your time, Emperor Aleksander."

Aleksander nodded. "Good luck to you, President Almark."

When the transmission closed, Klancain came in. "Aleksander, while negotiations are important, I have to ask you a question. When will we be returning to Vers?"

Aleksander turned around. "Grandfather's funeral?"

Klancain nodded sadly. "I just used the audience chamber. He passed away a few hours ago."

"What about Vers? Is everything still operational?" Aleksander asked.

"Everything is fine. The former Emperor had a few subjects deactivate and reactivate Aldnoah drives so that the infrastructure of Vers would not be compromised upon his death."

Aleksander thought for a few moments. "Once the UE sends their response in regards to the conditions I have laid down, we will launch for Vers in the Hadriacus. In the meantime, Count Mazuurek will continue to handle the diplomatic affairs while we work on reforming Vers."

"And the Deucalion?" Klancain was reasonable concerned. After all, it was a battleship that ran on an Aldnoah drive. Its reputation was just as legendary as that of the White Death.

"I was actually thinking that it wouldn't be too hard to disarm and refit it into the first of many interstellar travel vehicles. The design, while not exactly tethered to non-gravity standards, is rather efficient. It's also kind of poetic, when I think about it. The Aldnoah drive used by the very first Orbital Knight to attack Earth may very well now be at the forefront of peaceful communications between Vers and Earth."

Klancain looked at Aleksander before finally smiling. "I do believe I made the right choice in following you."

* * *

A couple days later, Aleksander was in his room drafting up new laws when he heard his door open. He didn't look up. "Has the UE responded yet, Count Mazuurek?"

"I'm not Count Mazuurek..." A familiar voice spoke out, confused.

Alek shot up, turning to face Inaho. "It's good to see you up again."

Inaho smiled, though Alek noticed the cast on his arm. "It's good to see you as well."

Alek motioned to the cast. "How's your arm?"

"It'll heal in a couple of months. Shouldn't you be with Inko?" Inaho asked.

"If I do, I'll end up worrying about her to the point of forgetting about everything else. This is the better alternative. And what about you? I thought you would be visiting Asseylum by now."

"I thought you didn't want me near her?" Inaho asked.

Alek sighed. "True, I didn't want you near her, but I was being an irrational, overprotective older brother. Still am, mind you. Just… be careful right now. She's probably still depressed from what I told her a couple days ago, and I can't be the one to comfort her because of that. She needs someone else to talk with. Lemrina's been visiting every day, but she hasn't had that much of an effect on her."

"What did you do?"

"Inaho, she was the one who supplied the UFE with Aldnoah drives. She's part of the reason that you, Inko and Slaine were all in the medical ward up until now." Aleksander looked at the ground. "I can't just forgive and forget. Not until Slaine and Inko's conditions take a change."

The door opened again as Count Mazuurek stepped in. "The United Earth government's President Almark wishes to speak with you."

"I'll be there in a few minutes." Alek said, standing up. "I'll talk to you later, Inaho."

"Thanks…"

* * *

Asseylum didn't even budge when she heard the door open. "I don't want to talk to anyone right now."

"Seylum…" A familiar voice called out.

Asseylum turned around, nearly giving herself whiplash as she became aware of the person who just spoke to her, to the person she considered a part of herself as much as he considered her a part of himself. "Inaho!"

Inaho quickly found himself in her embrace as she clung on to one of people she was worried about, crying all the while.

If there was one thing Asseylum truly appreciated about Inaho, it was that he hadn't changed. Her brother had changed, Slaine had changed, she had to acknowledge that even she had changed. But Inaho remained the same person that Asseylum had met two years ago.

In a world where everything was changing faster than she could keep up, Asseylum couldn't help but hold on to the person that had remained constant, while all Inaho could do was let her cry everything out.

* * *

"Nao-kun! Where are you?" Yuki called out.

The crew of the Deucalion had been given permission to explore the Landing Castle for as long as the battleship stayed on it, seeing as they were still technically on the run from the Earth's militaries.

During that time, Yuki had visited her younger brother multiple times. It was only on this day however, that no one had told her that he was up and moving again.

"Can I help you, miss?" A voice asked.

Yuki turned around to see one of the counts that resided in the Landing Castle, a bit taller than her. "I can't seem to find my brother…"

The count lighted up. "Perhaps I can help you? I'm familiar enough with my own castle."

Yuki blinked. "You're Count Mazuurek?"

The count bowed. "At your service. You are?"

"Yuki Kaizuka."

"Kaizuka… would your brother perhaps be Inaho Kaizuka?" Count Mazuurek asked.

Yuki nodded. "You know him?"

"We met when I was a prisoner at the UFE base in Port Aden." Count Mazuurek explained. "He's probably visiting either Princess Asseylum or Emperor Aleksander right now. I can take you there if you wish."

"Please do."

As Yuki followed along, Count Mazuurek noticed that she had an air of nervousness about her, as if they had… it suddenly occurred to him. "Have we met before?"

Yuki smiled shyly. "Well, yes. Not in person, though. I was part of the squadron that engaged you in combat when your kataphrakt attacked our base."

It was Count Mazuurek's turn to be abashed. "Ah, sorry. It wasn't really that much of an attack, to be honest. It felt more like a rabbit chase, with your squadron leading me on, baiting me into that trap and all."

"Yes, I guess." Yuki said.

"Did you know the Emperor as well?"

Yuki smiled. "We knew him as Alek Audet, star student and president of the Student Council at school. He was my assistant instructor for kataphrakt piloting and helped around school quite a bit."

"I see… would you like to talk more about it later? Perhaps over a meal?" Count Mazuurek asked.

Yuki was surprised. "Are you… asking me on a date?"

"A date?" Count Mazuurek asked, being unfamiliar with the term.

"Ah, I guess dating isn't a thing on Vers. I suppose you could call it a light form of courting?" Yuki tentatively explained, blushing all the while. She was never as good at explaining stuff as Inaho or Alek.

It was Count Mazuurek's turn to blush, as he suddenly realized how his actions could be interpreted. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean for my question to come across that way!"

Yuki felt just as awkward. "It's alright, you didn't know. But I think it would be alright to have a conversation over a meal."

Crisis averted.

By the time everything was figured out, they found the door to Asseylum's room open, so they walked in, only to see the princess seemingly resting on Inaho. Inaho for his part looked like he was trying to pick up the princess.

"She fell asleep." He explained. "It would be better if we got her to a bed. Sleeping like will leave her sore."

Yuki didn't let this chance go by. She snapped a picture with her phone before anyone could react. "I'll leave it to you then, Nao-kun."

Count Mazuurek followed her out. "What was that about?"

Yuki grinned. "I like seeing Alek freak out. It's quite entertaining."

"You intend to aggravate the Emperor of the Vers Empire with only a picture?"

"Believe me, you don't even need that much to aggravate him."

* * *

"So you're willing to agree to the terms I have set?" Aleksander asked.

"So long as Vers delivers on the promised restoration of our cities and improvements, yes." President Almark replied.

Aleksander nodded. "That's fair. Granted, we'll be focusing more on reforming the Vers Empire, but you can expect us to deliver on repairs. While our manpower is somewhat lacking, we can make up for it with technological advancements."

"I see. Thank you very much for your help, Emperor. I wish you the best of luck in regards to your future rule."

"Thank you, President." Aleksander closed off communications.

Around that time, one of the operators received a transmission. "Milord, the doctors wish to speak with you at the medical bay."

Aleksander frowned. "I'll be there."

* * *

Asseylum had left her room for the first time in a while when she noticed Aleksander making an announcement over the speakers.

"People of Vers, it is with regret that I make this announcement. In the aftermath of the battle with the UFE, Count Troyard was severely injured protecting me. Just less than ten minutes ago, he succumbed to his wounds."

The Princess of Vers froze up, processing the words that her brother spoke. "No…"

"With his passing, Vers has lost another great man, one who fought to his last in seeking to reform the Vers Empire. As one who was born on Earth, it only seems fitting that he be returned to whence he first came. All I ask is that you remember him. Not as the terran who rose up through the ranks hoping to change Vers, but as the man who made the ultimate sacrifice, giving up his life to save his Emperor's."

To Asseylum, it was understandable that Aleksander said what he did. In doing so, he essentially restored Slaine's respect and gave them pause in regards to discriminating against terrans.

It didn't make it any easier for her, though, as she found herself crying once again.

* * *

"Are you sure this is the best way to do things, Aleksander?" Lemrina asked.

Aleksander nodded. "Slaine's stable now, but I'd rather not have him back in politics if I can help it. Honestly, he's better off on Earth where he won't have to deal with the Orbital Knights in large masses. Granted, he'll have to take up a new name, but it's better than letting him die."

"But you said that he would fight for you until the day he died… or was that planned?" Lemrina asked, finally catching on to what Aleksander was thinking.

Aleksander tried hard not to chuckle, seeing as his first friend was supposedly dead. "Not really, but when he stabilized, I found a good opportunity that I could take advantage of. This way, he gets out of the eye of the Orbital Knights. As far as the world is concerned, Slaine Troyard will have died protecting his Emperor. In the meantime, he'll be living his life as a normal person, not having to deal with any of the stress that he's had over these last years."

Lemrina looked over to the cot that Slaine's body was hidden under as it was being taken to the Deucalion. "So Dr. Yagarai agreed to take care of him?"

"Yep. He'll be fine as long as he stays out of the public eye for a while." Aleksander said with the slightest of smiles. "You'll be heading down to Earth, right?"

As far as sibling relationships went, Aleksander was much closer with Lemrina now than he was with Asseylum. It mainly had to do with the fact that they understood each other much better due to how similar they were in mindsets regarding their royal blood, though Asseylum's untimely intervention had separated the full-blooded siblings.

Lemrina nodded. "Nina's already offered to help me find a place to stay."

"Hopefully you get used to how excited she can get. Otherwise, she's going to wear you out very quickly."

"I'll remember that." Lemrina smiled just before she was to board the Deucalion again.

Aleksander got down to give her one more hug before he went back inside. "Stay safe, Lemrina. I'll try to make contact every once in a while."

Lemrina returned it. "You too, Aleksander. I hope Inko wakes up soon."

After that, Lemrina entered the Deucalion while Alek went back inside, only to run into Inaho. "You should probably hurry. The Deucalion is leaving in a couple minutes."

"I'm not going back." Inaho said.

"I could probably call them to hold on for a couple more minutes while— what?" Alek suddenly realized what Inaho said. "Please tell me my sister had nothing to do with this."

"Actually, your sister only had a little bit to do with this. I want to help as well." Inaho said.

Alek sighed. "Fine, you can come to Vers with us. You do realize it'll take even longer to get that removed, right?" He motioned to Inaho's analytical engine.

"I have all the data regarding it stored in my computer, so all I need to do is give it to one of the doctors and he can handle things from there."

"Inaho, that thing can literally kill you if you overuse it. Try not to be so reckless. I've already made Asseylum cry once from what she did, and I probably made her cry a second time after I announced Slaine's death. I am not making her cry a third time because I had to tell her that you died. I'd rather not see her cry anymore. And what about Yuki? Did you say goodbye to her already?"

"Aneki is still on the Landing Castle as well." Inaho said.

That made Alek pause. "Exactly why is she still here?"

"I heard something about being invited to a meal by Count Mazuurek." Inaho said.

"I— you know what? I'm not going to even question it. Too much to think about. If Yuki wants to start a relationship with my main ambassador, I'm not going to do anything about it." Alek shook his head to clear it.

"They want to start a relationship?" Inaho asked, a hint of something in his voice.

Alek turned around. "What do you—" It suddenly occurred to him, a grin splitting his face. "Oh, I see how this is."

"See what?"'

"Oh, nothing of importance." Alek waved his hand in dismissal. "I'm going to visit Inko. Haven't visited her in a bit."

Overprotective Brother Symptom is a very recognizable affliction.

* * *

"Hey Inko, are you feeling any better?" Alek asked as he walked to her bed.

As she was the only one that hadn't woken up or been moved, she was the only person in the medical bay. Which left Alek plenty of time to spend just talking to her. Even if she wouldn't respond.

"I brought you flowers today. It was a bit of a hassle getting them here, with greenhouses being difficult to find in these times, but I managed it somehow. Orchids, your favorite. I still remember the one time we went to a greenhouse. You wouldn't stop staring at the orchids the entire time. I think I had to pull you away so we could keep going on the trip. I'll put them here."

After Alek placed the flower pot on the table next to Inko's bed, he continued. "You know, after the battle, when we retrieved you, Inaho and Slaine, I was so worried. I thought you were going to die. I almost lost you. I guess you felt this way when I almost died two years ago, huh?"

"Regardless, you probably want to know a bit of what's going on. We've finally got peace negotiations rolling along with Earth, which is nice. The UFE got dissolved, which I think is great. The Deucalion is heading back to the cities to help begin reconstruction on Earth, with Lemrina in tow. Slaine's also going with them, though he hasn't woken up yet. Hopefully he'll wake up soon, though I'm happy with the fact that he's stable as it is. He deserves to be happy for once. And to top everything off, Yuki might end up in a relationship with Count Mazuurek, which I think might be quite possibly the strangest thing that's happened since I discovered how much of a weeaboo Asplund is."

"Asseylum and I aren't on good terms right now. I said some things she needed to hear, but the way I told her was the wrong way to do so. I still need to apologize to her. She's been through a lot over these last few days, with you, Inaho and Slaine being here and unconscious. I have too, come to think of it."

Alek had to try hard to avoid crying now. "I hope you wake up soon. I really do. I miss you, Inko. Once you're up again, we should watch the stars. They're more beautiful when you see them from Vers than here on Earth."

He kissed her on the forehead. "I'll come back to visit tomorrow, I promise."

As he was about to exit, he heard a small sound.

"Mm…"

Alek spun around to see Inko stirring before finally opening her eyes. He didn't even hesitate before running back to the side of the bed.

Inko turned her head and smiled. "Hey, Alek."

Every last teardrop that Alek had been holding back seemed to flow out all at once as he embraced Inko in a hug, taking in the moment.

Though Inko couldn't raise her arms at the moment, she melted into his embrace, letting him cry out everything. His frustrations, his fears, his sadness, everything seemed to evaporate at once, now that Inko was awake.

For the first time in a long time, everything felt right.

* * *

 **That's a wrap on this chapter. Man, I really need to shorten these. I almost hit two chapters worth of material. The main reason this chapter is so long is because I get bothered if my stories don't have an average of at least 4k words per chapter (I get minor cases of OCD from time to time). The 99k words was bothering me for a while.**

 **On a side note, in terms of word count, Butterfly Effect has actually been the longest English fanfic on this page for a while (the actual longest is a fanfic written in Indonesian). It's also technically the longest fic that doesn't pair together Inaho and Slaine, last when I checked on AO3 (some people have written 400k+ fics on there. My hats off to them). There might be other places, but I haven't found them.**

 **The last couple reviews I got were really encouraging for me, seeing as I was doing a huge deviation from the anime by this point.**

 **A lot of the ideas I'll be implementing in the near future were brought on by someone who spent a long time reviewing my work and criticizing it, and I'm thankful to that person for investing so much time. (I had one scene in mind where Alek stuffs Calm into the Landing Castle's elevator and lets it do an emergency drop to the bottom floor, but I'll probably leave that for The Prince's Records).**

 **Either way, you know the drill. Review and leave constructive criticism where you can/want.**

 **Until next time,**

 **WX**


End file.
